#riddler x chronically ill reader | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writingsofmax · 1 year

Note

hiii your sick reader x edward story made me think about another writing idea :''))) edward's reaction to fainted reader. they fainted because they have iron deficiency anemia. annndd I really love your writings!!

I've Got You Word Count: 620 Tags: riddler x reader, chronically ill reader, fainting, caretaking, fluff author's note: hi anon!!! Sorry for taking five hundred million years to get to this request!!!! this request made me SO happy to get. I don't have iron deficiency anemia, but I do have a similar condition that causes me to faint so I can relate a little bit. I really hope this is okay and that you like it. happy holidays <3

You were in the middle of a conversation with Eddie when you started feeling it. You had been excessively tired all day, and your head swam every time you stood up to do something. But now his questions were getting harder to understand, and your heart was pounding. On top of that your hands felt cold and clammy. You prayed that you wouldn’t pass out. “Sweetie?” Edward asked, a confused smile on his face. “Hm?” “Did you hear me?” “I’m sorry,” you answered, rubbing your brow to try and force your brain into working properly, “What did you say?” “I asked if you were hungry..” he said slowly, watching you carefully. You realized then that you hadn’t eaten yet that day, never a good choice for you. You had just been so busy and had forgotten all about it. “Uh… yeah..yeah” you answered, forgetting what you were talking about again a second later. “Where do you want food from? I can order some.” Eddie offered, watching you like a hawk. You stood up, leaning your weight against the kitchen table heavily. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” you mumbled, thinking that maybe splashing some water on your face might help. “I don’t think that’s a–” Edward started. And then you were down. Eddie dove for you, catching you in his arms before you hit the ground. “Angel?” You were unresponsive, “Sweetie?” He felt your pulse, it was there but weak. Had you been forgetting to take your iron pills again? He laid you down gently on the couch, making sure to rest your feet up on pillows. He frowned as he held your hands, they were cold and clammy. His poor angel. He waited there for a few minutes, tucking a blanket around you and moving a pillow under your neck. He brushed the hair away from your face as you began to come to. “E-Eddie…?” you asked, your voice shaky and confused. “Hi Angel… You fainted on me..” He explained, his voice calm and low as he rubbed your hand reassuringly. “Oh… Sorry..” you mumbled, as you closed your eyes again, trying to calm the pounding of your heart. “No. No need to apologize, it’s okay,” he murmured, leaning over to kiss your forehead gently. “I didn’t eat anything yet today,” you explained… “And I actually don’t remember the last time I remembered to take my iron pills..” “Where are they?” he asked, standing up from his kneeling position at your side. “In the medicine cabinet..” He nodded and stood up to go grab them for you, pulling his phone out of his pocket and raising it to his ear as he walked away from you. The sound of his voice was so comforting and before you knew it you were fast asleep again on the couch. You were awoken a while later to steaming piles of food laid out across the coffee table. “Here baby, drink this for me, okay?” Eddie said as he handed you a glass of orange juice, “And take this before you start eating,” he instructed as he laid an iron pill in your palm. “I called your doctor and they said you should be fine, but they’ll get you in next week just to make sure,” Eddie said, smiling at you as he brought over silverware to use. Your eyes filled with tears as he sat down next to you. “Sweetie?? What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching up to pull you into a hug. “Nothing Ed..” you smiled while wiping your tears away, “You’re just so good to me… I really appreciate you is all..” Edward smiled back at you, before kissing your lips gently. “I’ll always be here for you angel, always.”

#edward nashton x reader #riddler x reader #danonation #riddler x chronically ill reader #x reader #danocel #danoverse #edward nashton fluff #riddler fluff #the riddler fanfiction #edward nasthon fanfiction #riddler one shot #edward nashton one shot

131 notes · View notes

tainoidiot · 1 year

Text

Officially now doing Character X Reader requests! Just an fyi, my writing will mainly center around POC/Disabled/Chronically ill!Reader. But I'm willing to do more!

----

RULES

I don't do +18 work.

Please be respectful of the time it takes to get stuff put out. I am only one person!

If I get something wrong, please don't hesitate to tell me. If I need to get called out then I get called out.

I will not do any requests that are borderline/generally abusive. (This includes domestic, sexual, mental abuse, and pedophilia. Yanderes are on thin ice)

IF you want a character not listed, work with me man! Don't be afraid to ask for things.

----

MEDIA AND CHARACTERS

BATMAN (Only rogues and general "Bad guys")

Jervis Tetch/ The Mad Hatter (BTAS, Arkhamverse, TNBAS, Gotham)

Edward Nygma/ The Riddler (BTAS, Arkhamverse)

Johnathan Crane/ The Scarecrow (BTAS, Arkhamverse)

Selina Kyle/ Catwoman (BTAS, The Batman, Arkhamverse, Hunted.)

Pamela Isley/ Poison Ivy (BTAS, Arkhamverse, Harley Quinn)

MARVEL (movies only)

Namor/K'uk'ulkan

Shuri

Peggy Carter

King M'Baku

Wanda Maximoff

#marvel mcu #marvel x reader #batman #jervis tetch #johnathan crane #pamela isley #selina kyle #edward nygma #edward nashton #requests open #peggy carter #black panther wakanda forever #mcu namor #wakanda forever #wandavision #scarlet witch #a heem heem

13 notes · View notes

s3lf-c0ncious · 2 years

Text

Klitz x gn!chronicallyill reader with hEDS

For those who don’t know: hEDS (hypermobile ehlers-danlos syndrome) is a connective tissue disorder that causes a lot of different symptoms, the most commonly known being hypermobility).

Disautonomia is a group of disorders, POTS is under the Disautonomia umbrella and it’s a disorder that causes your heart rate to increase abnormally when you sit or stand up.

Gastroparesis (paralyzed stomach/vagus nerve that controls digestion) is when you are unable to digest certain or all foods.

⚠️Warnings: none! It’s sfw!

-Klitz didn’t even know what hEDS was before meeting you, you would definitely have to teach him about your disorder so he knew how it would effect you. Even if you weren’t fond of talking about it. He was eager to help you in any way he could.

-Loves watching you perform your “party tricks” but makes sure you don’t do them often to be sure your joints don’t deteriorate much more.

-Is always the one who drives you to the ER when you have complications (dislocations, gastroparesis flares, etc.)

-Stays home from school with you when you’re too sick to go, he secretly loves to stay home and cuddle you better all day. Don’t worry, he can make up his work later.

-Helps with your mobility aids for you whenever you need. (He keeps an extra walking stick at his house in case you ever need it.)

-He can’t really cook, but whenever his mom makes food, he asks her to make it with your diet restrictions in mind. Of course, she never has an issue with that. And whenever you go out, he makes sure to choose a place that can accommodate you!

-Loves you no matter what braces, mobility aids, feeding tubes, etc. you need, he doesn’t care, he knows you need them to be as healthy as possible! (He buys you extra of things like braces when you need them! Even if he knows you hate when he spends money on you.)

-Sometimes stretches your skin, but is sure to be gentle. He thinks you’re really cool for being able to do that!

-Constantly reassures you that you can do this and that you’re strong, especially when you are in the middle of bad flare ups. Klitz is very serious about keeping you mentally healthy and happy.

-Careful not to bruise you and cares for your bruises when you get them.

-Helps you stand up slowly so you don’t pass out (disautonomia). He keeps a mini heart monitor in his room for when you stay over.

-Helps you do everything to reduce bad scarring and help your wounds heal as fast as they can, he hates that hEDS makes your body struggle to heal wounds on its own.

-Overall the best boyfriend a chronically ill person could have. He prides himself on how he cares for you.

A/N: I decided to do this prompt because I’m diagnosed with hEDS (and it’s comorbids like disautonomia) and have been dealing with a bad flare up all day. But I’ve also been traveling all day, so I decided to write this while I rest up for tomorrow’s activities! hEDS, POTS (disautonomia), Gastroparesis, and MCAS are all things that suck ass. They need to not exist but since they do, I think Klitz would be so sweet handling it.

#paul dano #klitz the girl next door #paul dano riddler #chronically ill #chronic illness #klitz x reader #klitz x you #klitz fluff #klitz imagine #the girl next door #eli brooks #danocel #danonation #dano!riddler #riddler 2022

36 notes · View notes

littleoddwriter · 2 years

Text

Paul Dano Masterlist

Alex Jones/Barry Milland (Platonic only!):

Never Thought I’d See You Again (GN!Reader)

Crush (GN!Reader; One-Sided Crush - on Barry’s side!)

Safe (GN!Reader)

Sleep (GN!Reader)

Game Night (GN!Reader)

Edward Nashton/The Riddler:

Assistance (GN!Reader; Dark Fic; Vent Fic)

Fluff Headcanons (Trans!Male!Reader)

N/SFW Headcanons (Trans!Male!Reader)

Sweet Sounds (GN!Reader; N/SFW)

Your Beautiful Scars (GN!Reader; Mild Dark Fic)

I’d Do Anything For You (GN!Reader; N/SFW)

Tie Us Together (GN!Reader)

At Last (Solo; Dark Fic; N/SFW)

Escape (Superhuman!GN!Reader)

Deserving (GN!Reader; TW for Disordered Eating)

Confessions (Male!Reader)

Forbidden Fruit (GN!Reader)

Infatuated (Trans!Male!Reader)

Getting to Know You (Trans!Male!Reader)

For You (TransMasc!Reader; Mild Dark Fic)

You’re Mine (Male!Reader; N/SFW)

Self Care Night HC’s (GN!Reader)

Forgiveness (Angel!GN!Reader; N/SFW)

Home (Kid!Edward & Dad!Male!Reader)

Help (Chronically Ill!GN!Reader)

Stimulation (GN!Reader; N/SFW)

Always Together (Male!Reader; N/SFW)

Feeling Good (GN!Reader; N/SFW)

Coincidence? (Male!Reader; N/SFW)

Loveable (GN!Reader)

Practice (GN!Reader)

Real Change (Trans!Male!Reader)

Real Change Pt. 2 (Trans!Male!Reader; N/SFW)

SFW & N/SFW Dark Headcanons (Trans!Male!Reader; DUB-Con)

Sub!Edward x Trans!Male!Reader (N/SFW Headcanons)

Enemies? (Male!Robin!Reader)

Male!Reader, who is a Murderer (Dark HC’s)

Male!Reader, who is Dangerous (HC’s)

Eli Sunday:

Not a Sinner (Male!Reader)

Fighting for You (Male!Reader)

In Your Arms (Male!Reader)

Bittersweet, Isn’t It? (Demon!GN!Reader)

Scared (GN!Reader)

The Path that Led Me to You (Male!Reader; TW for Suicidal Tendencies)

Falling for You (Male!Reader)

N/SFW Headcanons (Trans!Male!Reader)

Male!Angel!Reader Headcanons

Jay:

Focus (Male!Reader)

Love for All Creatures (GN!Vet Assistant!Reader)

Trans!Male!Reader HC’s

Joby Taylor:

Comfortable (PlusSized!GN!Reader)

Loss (GN!Reader)

Sight to Behold (GN!Reader; N/SFW 18+)

Klitz:

In the Safety of Your Arms (GN!Reader)

Alt!Male!Reader at School HC’s

Jock!Male!Reader HC’s

Jock!Male!Reader HC’s (different scenario)

Klitz x Eli:

It Was Always You

Paul Dano Character Headcanons:

Music HC’s

#paul dano #masterlist #alex jones #barry milland #edward nashton #the riddler #dano riddler #eli sunday #jay okja #joby taylor #joby taylor for ellen #klitz #klitz the girl next door #klitz x eli

85 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Disarm pt. 12

Words: 1.6K

Summary: Edward goes to find Y/N to try to make things right.

Tags: angst, guilt, hurt/comfort, chronically ill reader, anti-social Edward, obsessive thinking, CARETAKING

warnings: depictions of illness, depictions of a panic attack, a little bit of sh like a smidge

Chapter 12- To My Mistakes Of Cowardice

Edward banged on Y/N’s door, calling out her name.

His panic grew when there was no answer. Pressing his ear to the door he heard muffled television sounds.

Please, PLEASE just be sleeping, please just be sleeping.

Edward’s hands felt clammy and he couldn’t get a full breath in, like his throat was closing up. He was about to kick the door down but realized that might alarm the other residents of the building.

He ran outside, circling the building.

Windows, windows.

He couldn’t even see inside. All the shades were drawn. Running his hands along the weathered bottom of the frames he tried to lift each one, but they were locked. Break the window? He looked around for something to break the window with, but then spotted her bathroom window, slightly ajar. He hoisted the frame up, shoving the interior screen forcefully. It popped from the frame into the apartment. Edward clambered over the windowsill, falling into the apartment with a painful thud. He picked himself up, ignoring the discomfort. The bathroom smelled like sickness and vomit. It was in complete disarray. “Y/N?” Edward shouted, still no response. Her apartment is freezing, he realized, seeing his breath. The living room had dirty clothes on the floor, and some dishes with food on the table. The TV was on, broadcasting the news. Edward glanced at it and saw The Riddler reflected back at him. There he was on the screen, talking about how he would kill again and again until changes were made in Gotham.

He grimaced. She’s been watching this? It made his heart ache to think that Y/N had been keeping track of his exploits this whole time. Did it scare her? He turned away, disgusted with himself. He hurried down the dark hallway, calling her name, slamming the door to her bedroom open. There. Edward could breathe again. Y/N was there in her bed, wrapped up in sheets and— Oh. He felt a stab in his heart when he recognized his jacket held so tightly in her arms. He rushed to her side, “Y/N?” Edward tentatively reached out, resting his hand lightly on her arm. She was burning up, he realized as his heart dropped into his stomach. She was covered in sweat, dark purple shadows under her eyes. Her eyes were puffy and red as well, and he could tell she had been crying. Because of me. He gritted his teeth, remorse consuming him. Your bulllshit isn’t important right now, he reminded himself. She needed her meds.

“Shit!” he ran back out into the hallway, remembering he had left the bag outside her front door. Unlocking the door, he opened it, very relieved to see that it was still there. He pulled it inside and ran back into her room with it, digging through it furiously. He pulled out some pain meds that would help bring her fever down and her daily medications that she needed to be taking.

If these don’t help I will take her to the hospital—Wait she needs water too, he scrambled back into the kitchen. Most of the dishes were dirty, so he opened all the cupboards until he found a clean glass, filling it with water. Grabbing her pills in one hand, and the water in the other, he set them on the nightstand, slowly scooting into bed with her. He grimaced when he realized her blankets and sheets were soaked through with sweat. Reaching one arm under her, he lifted her body, propping her up carefully against his chest. Her eyelids fluttered open at that, and she glanced up at him, her gaze hazy with fever. He could tell that she wasn’t really seeing him, but still he felt relief flood through his body just seeing her open her eyes. “Hi..” he spoke gently, “I need you to take this okay?,” he wanted to sound calm and reassuring but his voice came out strangled. Y/N seemed to have some understanding though, and she let him place the pills in her mouth.

“Here you go,” Edward spoke, lifting the water to her mouth. He watched her carefully as she drank, making sure she got most of it down before he removed it from her lips. After setting the glass down he realized her eyes were closed again, and she was sleeping once more. Edward shifted out from under her cautiously, trying not to disturb her. I need to find a way to bring her fever down. She turned over on the bed, making a soft noise as she clutched his jacket to her face. Edward was filled with self-loathing. He could hardly stand to look at her. He didn’t deserve to. He had always thought that Arkham would be hell, but no, it was here. Edward left the room. He needed to find a thermometer to keep track of her temperature. —---------------------------------------------------------------------- Y/N stirred, her mind fuzzy. She had a dream that someone had been there, helping her take medicine. Another where someone had held an ice pack to her body. Her heart was pounding, and the pain in her temples was excruciating, she flipped over on the bed trying to get comfortable again.

At some point Eddie had been there too, sitting by her bedside. She remembered that he looked terrified about something.

It was confusing. She closed her eyes again. —----------------------------------------------------------------------- Edward had been cleaning for a long time. He had washed her sheets first, quietly picking up the dirty ones that had been kicked off the bed and onto the ground while she slept. Next was the bathroom. He organized it and then deep cleaned, scrubbing every surface. After, he picked up the living room until it was spotless. While he was cleaning the living room he had found her sketchbook. He had flipped it open, curiosity getting the better of him. He flipped through, seeing sketches of still lifes, flowers, and doodles of strangers. Y/N was so talented. He flipped another page and was confronted with many, many drawings of him. Drawings of him in a cartoon-like style, detailed drawings of his side profile, doodles of outfits he had worn. Little drawings of the two of them together, which he loved. Lots of drawings of his face, many with little hearts around them, he noticed, his face growing warm. On some of the pages there was “Y/N Nashton '' written several times, which made his hands shake and his heart race. She had drawn all of this so lovingly, he thought, his stomach churning. How could he have thought that she didn’t love him? He traced over the drawings of them together with his fingers, before closing the sketchbook and putting it away.

Now he was working on cleaning the kitchen. His brows were furrowed as he focused intensely on washing a cup. He wasn’t sure what good all of this was doing, he just knew that it felt like a solution to something. Bringing order to things. It stopped him from going into the bedroom every 5 minutes to check on Y/N, at least. She is very sick. He scrubbed the cup harder, the sponge chafing his hands. He had a process. He washed each dish several times. She’s sleeping with my jacket. He would rinse it. I screamed at her. Then he would dry it and put it away. I left her for a week. Then he would start on the next dish.

He held the cup up, inspecting it. It was spotless but he started scrubbing it again just for good measure. His mind had been a mess with a number of anxious thoughts about Y/N. About her condition, about the things he had said. It made him feel helpless that he couldn’t do anything other than let her sleep and change out her ice packs after he gave her her meds, and hope she would be okay. As he cleaned, he went over the events of Halloween night again and again. Images of Y/N flinching at his touch floated in his mind along with flashes of her crying and pleading with him. He thought about how he had found her: extremely sick and clutching his jacket, as if it was a lifeline. She had missed him, even after everything he had done. Hands shaking, he dried the cup and put it away. He rested his hands on the edge of the counter, staring down at the floor. He had told her that she was only good for a—Oh, how did he so charmingly put it? A mediocre fuck. Letting out a loud sigh, Edward paced in front of the sink before stopping and sinking to the kitchen floor, his back against the cabinets. Why did I fucking say that? He had been at odds with the rest of the world, pretty much his whole life. He had never gotten along with others, even when he tried to, and eventually he did stop trying. When people pissed him off, or hurt him, which as a child was often, it was so easy to hurt them back. His strengths weren’t physical, he knew that, but he was smart. He had carefully crafted his own way of hurting others throughout the years. It had always been so easy for him to target their insecurities with pinpoint accuracy, to lash out immediately in retaliation. But he had never meant to do it to Y/N.

Edward held his head in his hands, tugging at his hair a bit in frustration. If he could go back in time, and not say any of those things, he would do it in an instant. But that wasn’t possible, so he had to figure out how he could possibly even start to make this up to her.

He just needed to be doing something. So this is what he was doing. Cleaning every single thing in her apartment until his hands hurt, and then cleaning some more.

Previous Next

#edward nashton fanfiction #dano!riddler #the riddler fanfiction #riddler x reader #danocel #edward nashton x reader #edward nashton x you #riddler x you #edward nashton x y/n #danonation #the riddler #the riddler x y/n #the riddler x reader #the riddler x you #riddler angst #the riddler hurt/comfort #riddler x chronically ill reader

235 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 1 year

Text

I have so many requests in my inbox right now that are different flavors of riddler x chronically ill reader.

It makes me feel honored that my writing has affected people going through similar experiences enough that they want to reach out to ME for more?? But also, I find it very telling that chronically ill people latched on to Edward Nashton so hard, like: Feeling alienated and isolated from society at large? Check. Feeling uncared for and left behind by the government? Check. Realizing that a lot of the supposed "safety nets" and "care systems" that exist to help you, don't do that at all and really just exist to make politicians look better? Check. Perhaps feeling a little bitter towards everyone that so casually and easily enjoys life around you? Check.

#max talks #edward nashton thoughts #dano riddler #edward nashton #riddler x chronically ill reader #no one understands him like the chronically ill populace does

20 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Disarm pt. 5

Words: 3,161

Story Summary: Edward and Y/N's relationship slowly blossoms and Edward tries to reckon with his feelings about it.

Tags: slowburn, chronically ill reader, anti-social Edward, emotional distress, heart to heart, angst, hurt/comfort, online stalking

warnings: emotional distress, panic attack symptoms, canon-typical description of orphanage environment and child death, online stalking

Part one

Chapter 5- Down With Secrets I Can't Keep

When Edward had gotten home after the park outing, he felt agitated, like his world was a little off-kilter. He took a quick shower, made some coffee, and sat down at his laptop to compile financial documents for his latest info leak to his followers. Despite all of this, Y/N would still drift into his mind. He would be typing up his manifesto and then his next thought would be about what Y/N would think if she was reading it. He would be writing detailed schedules in his ledger for his plans and then write anagrams of her name in the margins. It frustrated him to no end. He could not get her out of his mind.

Before, focusing on the Renewal Plan had been easy. He would just think about his life, how he had been treated and focus on the hate he felt. It led him to an almost trance-like state where he could focus for hours and hours on end. Sometimes he didn’t even remember filling out entire sections of his ledgers, but they would be full of his writing the next day, his hands smeared with ink.

Now, it was more difficult because thoughts of Y/N would break his concentration.

Whenever he got really distracted and couldn’t refocus on the Renewal plan at all, he would give in and text her. Usually it was just a riddle because he didn’t know what else to say, but she would always answer. Then the conversations would flow more naturally when she would text back. This eventually led to them meeting and talking regularly. They talked about politics, about Gotham, about how, as Y/N put it, “how bad things are in the world” and what they would do to change it. I am going to change it. So soon now. I am going to recreate Gotham from the ground up. After a few weeks, he even told her about what he had found with the Renewal Fund. She had been furious at the Mayor and Falcone, and then scared.

“Edward, you know what they do to whistleblowers.” she whispered, a concerned look in her eyes. Edward giggled at her naivety, “I’m obviously not going to let them trace it back to me, I’m not stupid. I make sure to reroute the website through multiple servers and…” Edward continued on about firewalls, and multiple proxies and unbreakable ciphers, and then stopped when he realized he was getting into one of his trance-like moods again. Y/N had smiled as she pushed her hair from her face, “I sometimes forget how smart you are.”

He started asking how she was feeling. That was strange for him, he had actively tried his whole life not to care about other people, but he often found himself thinking––no, worried––about how she was.

He had even created a separate ledger just for her. The front cover was an anagram of her name and inside were detailed accounts of everything they talked about, a daily log of how she was feeling, her symptoms and any other information about her health that he could compile: doctor’s names and numbers, medications and pharmacies.

When she had mentioned her doctor's appointments to him in passing, he found her patient login later that night. I should really tell Y/N to get two-factor encryption, this was way too easy for me to get into, he had thought. From there, he got her medical history, recorded it, and filed it away. He didn’t want her information to be lost when he flooded Gotham. If Gotham wasn’t going to take care of her, he could.

He tried his best not to question why he was doing this. Self-introspection had never led him anywhere good in the past. There had been so many nights as a child that he had spent thinking: Why me? Why didn’t my parents want me? What’s wrong with me? Why, why, why, why, why.. These questions, unlike riddles and puzzles and equations, didn't have a clear knowable answer so he stopped thinking about them. He stopped questioning why he did anything at all, really.

He just decided that it was because she was a kindred spirit, a comrade. He was going to make sure that no one would ever have to be treated like he was, or she was ever again. He would make sure that both of them were taken care of in his new Gotham. That was all it meant.

And anyway, he did enjoy the companionship. It wasn’t something that he had ever had before, so it was still uncomfortable sometimes, but he deduced that the positives outweighed the negatives.

His plans were coming along quickly now. He had the information he needed, the pictures, and a dedicated following online. Thank you to Y/N for being good public speaking practice. He had even come up with a name for his persona.

Edward Nashton didn’t quite fit. He had hated his last name, courtesy of the parents that had abandoned him. And everyone who knew him by his name didn’t think of him as a vigilante… A bringer of justice. No, everyone who knew Edward Nashton saw him as a strange, quiet, unremarkable fellow. Hm. I guess not everyone. He thought as he worked on Y/N’s ledger.

Actually, Y/N had been quite helpful with his cause so far. She had started keeping an eye out on the comings and goings of the police in the park and reported what she saw to Edward, helping him compile information. She was also able to watch the news when Edward was at work and tell him what was being reported on, and how Wayne Enterprises and the Gotham PD were being construed to the public.

It was her that had helped him come up with his name: The Riddler.

“I have a question,” Y/N had asked, peering at him over a cup of tea.

“I have an answer,” Edward smirked, filling out a crossword.

“Why do you always text me riddles?” she asked, giving him a curious look. She stirred her tea before taking a sip.

“I just like them.” Edward paused ever so slightly while writing, before filling out the rest of the boxes.

“There has to be more to it than that,” Y/N complained exasperatedly.

Edward put his pen down and looked at her. “I don’t like talking about myself.”

“Edward, I hardly know anything about you, but I feel like you know everything about me! You won’t even tell me why you like riddles so much,” she whined.

I do know everything about you, Edward thought.

“Come on, open up a little,” she prodded, pointing at him with her spoon.

“Fine.” Edward let out a frustrated exhale. “So. When I was younger I had… a rough time.” Edward clasped his fingers together in his lap tightly. “And…my…” he trailed off, picking up his pen again. “I’m sorry, can we walk around a bit while I talk about this? I don’t want to talk about it here.”

Y/N motioned to the waitress to bring the bill over. “Of course… whatever you need, Eddie.”

Eddie. She’s never called me that before, no one has, Edward mused while waiting for her outside. Edward didn’t really like nicknames, but the way she had said it made it tolerable, he supposed. Maybe a little enjoyable. At least it’s not Ed-weird.

Y/N met him outside and they walked as he continued. “My home life wasn’t the best, so I needed something to distract me.” He was hating every second of this conversation. Being vulnerable around others wasn’t exactly one of his strengths.

“I couldn’t figure out why things were so hard for me, and to stop thinking about that I came up with games. Rhyming words, coming up with anagrams, thinking of dual meanings of words. After that I got into riddles,” his pace quickened.

A memory surfaced of the grimy book of riddles he had found in one of the forgotten rooms of the orphanage. He would pull it out from under his bed at night to read. He had always kept it hidden because it was against the rules to keep any personal belongings. He had read that book cover to cover to keep his mind off the cold and hunger. He had mastered all the riddles inside pretty quickly.

“They gave me something to focus on and it came really easily to me.”

“E-Eddie hold on a second, you’re walking so fast.” Y/N had stopped a few paces behind him to catch her breath.

Eddie again. He stopped and walked back towards Y/N. He hesitated for a moment before offering her his hand to stand back up. She took it and he felt his head go a little fuzzy. Quickly letting go, he stammered, “Sorry about that. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay,” Y/N replied, catching her breath, looking up at him and giving him an apologetic smile. Edward wondered how he hadn’t noticed how pleasant her smile was before.

“Thanks for telling me that. It’s nice to know about you.”

Edward felt nervous and he didn’t like being nervous so decided to change the subject.

“Anyway, why are you calling me Eddie now?” he asked with a pointed look.

Y/N looked up at him amused. “Oh, I’m sorry, would you prefer I call you Riddler?” she teased.

Edward scowled outwardly but felt butterflies in his stomach. “Eddie is fine, I guess.”

—-—————————————————————-

Edward looked up at the clock on his desk. It was close to 5:00, when Y/N said she would be over.

He had tried to keep her away from his apartment as long as possible but it had been getting difficult to keep coming up with excuses. He had moved his traps to storage, taken down some of the postings on his wall, and had hidden the Riddler backsplash curtain he had made for his streams.

He was thankful he didn’t have to move all of the Renewal information from his wall since Y/N was helping him with it now. The way he laid out and understood the information was spatial, and moving it around well… it disturbed things. It was fine though, he could always put it up again later if it meant maintaining his relationship with Y/N.

He anxiously checked each room in his apartment making sure there was nothing out that would give him away to Y/N. Sure she knew about the Renewal fund and the information he had but she didn’t really know about the true extent of his plans and he wanted to keep it that way.

A knock at the door interrupted Edward’s thoughts. He scanned the room one more time grabbing Y/N’s ledger and tossing it under the couch last minute before opening the door.

“Hey, Eddie,” Y/N gushed excitedly. She always seemed so happy whenever he saw her.

“Hello,” Edward replied, looking down at her from across the doorway.

“So this is where you live!” she remarked, looking around the hallway of the old building. “I didn’t realize you lived so close to the diner. That must be nice.”

Edward shifted his weight against the doorframe and looked out the hallway window. “Yeah, I guess it is. Never really thought about that.”

“So, uh… you gonna’ let me in?” Y/N asked, trying to look past his tall frame into the apartment.

Edward braced himself internally and stepped to the side awkwardly. “Come in.”

Y/N walked in, immediately being drawn to the Renewal wall. Her eyes widened at the photos and articles that were tacked up. “Oh wow, you’ve really tracked everything out.” She was quiet as she continued looking.

Edward waited for her to make some quick excuse to leave and then never speak to him again.

“This is really impressive!” she remarked, moving over to the window. “A very nice view.” The next second she was in the kitchen and Edward heard her say “gas stove.”

He wasn’t sure who she was talking to, but felt himself grow concerned as she moved to the hallway and bathroom. His apartment was his personal space. He had to share spaces all of his life, first at the orphanage and then in college. This apartment had been the first time that he could have his own area. It was putting him on edge that she was looking through everything, he didn’t want her finding anything that she shouldn’t see.

“Y/N,” he called, “Come back out here!” he sounded more nervous than he had meant to. Y/N popped back out into the living room. “This is nice!”

“Yes. It’s an apartment. Have you seen everything you needed to see?” he asked, rolling his eyes.

Y/N didn’t notice. “Yeah!” She plopped down on his couch and pulled a book from her bag.

Edward felt relieved that she had stopped looking around so much. He pulled a book from his shelf and sat next to her on the couch, opening it to where he left off. They did this sometimes, just hung out together and read or Edward would work on puzzles or write. That was usually on days like today where they would hang out after Edward got off work. They didn’t always have to talk about things. That overwhelmed him anyway––this was nicer. It was comfortable.

After a while, Y/N got up to stretch and walked over to the Renewal wall. Edward glanced at her over the pages of his book and then went back to reading.

“Hey, Eddie?” she asked, leaning in to inspect something. “Is that… you?”

Shit shit shit. He had missed one picture of him from his orphanage days.

“I would have never guessed you were in choir!” she grinned, and looked closer. “Wait...” her face fell. “Is this from the orphanage..?”

She looked at Edward for understanding.

“Eddie, were you in the—”

“Yes.” Why did I leave that up there? Edward felt like his apartment was too hot. He stood up, trying to get some air.

She looked shocked. “You lived there?”

“Yes,” he answered so quietly that Y/N almost didn’t hear it.

“For how long?” she turned away from the wall, trying to read Edward’s expression with a dismayed look. Edward let out a shaky exhale. “If you must know. I… I grew up at the um,” he cleared his throat. “Gotham Orphanage… I had been left there as a baby. It was hell.” He was quiet for a long time, gathering his thoughts.

Y/N broke the silence by speaking quietly, “I used to follow what went on there. I heard the stories… They seemed like they couldn’t possibly be true but they were. I… I remember volunteering there in high school, and you could tell how hastily they tried to cover up what it was really like there.”

She sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her, offering for Edward to come sit. Edward sat down, trying to get ahold of his emotions. This was all so sudden and unprepared for––he felt like he was drowning.

Y/N rubbed her hands together nervously. “Back when the orphanage burned down, it was obviously terrible—I’m not saying that it wasn’t, but I remember finding myself a little… relieved.” She snuck a glance at Edward before continuing. “Because Gotham would be forced to build new facilities for them.”

Edward continued to say nothing, just sat staring straight forward, his expression unreadable.

“I can understand why you care so much about the renewal fund now. Not that it didn’t make sense before but… you were affected directly. What was it like growing up there? I can’t even imagine,” Y/N murmured, her eyes downcast. “Yeah it was… awful,” Edward answered, surprising himself. He could feel his hands shaking. “I saw kids die there, you know? I…” Edward drifted off. He had never spoken about his experiences out loud with someone, and the emotions that were coming up were intense

“It was always cold and damp. There were rats that would crawl on you while you were sleeping. There was never enough food for everyone. In the beginning I tried to help. I did try,” he swallowed, “But it was useless. I couldn’t save any of them. After a while, I found that it was easier to just….” He waved his hand. “Not get involved with people. To shut off the empathy and the sympathy. Stop thinking about what’s happening to everyone around you and focus on surviving yourself, you know?”

He knew he was gripping the couch so hard it hurt, but he was afraid to let go––his emotions threatening to become uncontrollable. He had a vision of wounds on his hands, stigmata open and bleeding. “Eddie, you were just a kid. That shouldn’t have been on you.” Her voice sounded so sweet, pulling him through.

Edward noticed that Y/N was blinking back tears. “You should have never been put through any of that. Okay?” She reached over and took one of his hands, gently unclenching his fingers before holding them securely between both of her hands. “I’m going to do everything I can to help you with this. We’re going to expose the renewal fund together,” she whispered, voice choked with emotion.

In that moment, Edward felt like he was being seen for the first time in his life, the dark waters of his mind cleared.

Her touch on his hands felt like being saved.

She rubbed the top of his hand with her thumbs gently. Her eyes were so inviting, so much better than the dark memories that threatened to overwhelm him. As she moved closer on the couch, Edward’s throat felt dry. His heartbeat felt like it was skipping––he needed air. He stood up quickly, startling Y/N. “It’s um––” he moved to the door. “It’s getting late. I’m tired.” He looked back over at Y/N who was still on the couch. “I have work tomorrow so…” Y/N started getting up. “I can take you home.” Her expression was unreadable to him. “Yeah, Edward…” she stood awkwardly beside the couch. “Of course. I’m ready to go whenever,” she finished, grabbing her things.

Edward held the door open for her, and locked it behind the two of them. It still wasn’t any easier to breathe. His mind was spinning, he thought that back on the couch that he had wanted to…. No. Don’t go there. Not now. He rested his forehead against the cool of the door, closing his eyes, willing the world to stop spinning for a second.

“Edward, you okay? You ready?” Y/N called from down the hall.

“Y-yeah!” Edward shouted back. He shook his head forcing himself to stop thinking about it.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he whispered to himself.

Previous Next

195 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Disarm pt. 7

Words: 3, 205

Story Summary: Edward takes Y/N to her favorite place and she opens up to him. From there things...unfold

Tags: slowburn, chronically ill reader, anti-social Edward, emotional distress, heart to heart, angst, hurt/comfort, FIRST KISS, Edward streams, the riddler comes out

warnings: emotional distress, canon-typical description of the riddler streaming, kissing, making out??

Part one (has list of all chapters)

Chapter 7- Tell Me I'm The Only One

About an hour or so before he went to pick up Y/N, Edward decided to start getting ready for the drive. He knew that planning and getting everything in order would help calm his buzzing nerves. He dug around in his closet for a bit and pulled out an old duffel bag. Inside he meticulously placed some snacks, water bottles, pain medication, asthma medication, electrolyte drinks, salty snacks, sweet snacks, a blanket, an ice pack, and a heat pack. He racked his brain. Am I missing anything? And then, What does a sick lemon need? Lemon aid. He giggled to himself. He had carefully researched Y/N's conditions, and had recorded everything and anything she had told him about them, and looked up anything that could possibly help her. He wouldn’t tell her about this pack of course, only bring things out if she needed it. Since they were going about an hour away from Gotham, he didn’t want her to start feeling bad and not have anything she needed.

He knew that Y/N was usually pretty well prepared. But what if she accidentally leaves something at home? What if there was an unexpected circumstance? Edward could be prepared for her. The Riddler was going to take care of Gotham’s corruption for her, Edward was going to take care of her.

He checked the clock and it was almost time to leave. Edward stepped in front of his mirror and did a quick check of his appearance, reaching up and running his fingers through his hair a bit. Satisfactory.

He grabbed the duffel bag after giving it one last check, and headed out to the car.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

They had been driving together for a little while, Y/N reading off directions from her phone as Edward navigated them out of the city. Before long, the skyline of Gotham was disappearing behind them, as they crossed one of the bridges leading out of it. Ahead, there was nothing but trees on either side of the highway. A vast expanse of wilderness that felt like taking a breath of fresh air after the crowded, grimy city streets they were both used to. They were fine to sit in comfortable silence together, just listening to whatever songs played on the radio. However, after passing a sign for an exit, Edward had an idea. “Hey Y/N, wanna play a game with me?” he asked hopefully. Y/N smiled. “Of course. What shall we play?” Edward grinned with enthusiasm. “The game is thinking of dual meanings of words, starting with the word ‘sign’. When we run out of dual meanings we switch to rhyming,” he explained happily. Y/N looked a little confused. “That’s a game?” “Yeah, I do it all the time! I did it back when I was a delivery boy to pass the time in between stops,” he explained. “Here, I’ll start: Sign, as in road sign.” Y/N took a little bit to think, biting her lower lip before responding, “Sign as in signing a paper.” “Sign as in sign language,” Edward responded immediately. Y/N furrowed her brow in concentration. “Sign as in a sign or an omen” “Sign as in sine and cosine,” Edward replied, once again, immediately. Y/N looked over at Edward quizzically, and he just responded, “Like in math equations.”

Y/N smiled, looking down and shaking her head. She thought for a bit before answering. “I’m trying, but I can’t think of anything else. Should I start rhyming now?” she questioned. “Sign as in zodiac sign, sign as in signal,” he listed off, rapid fire. “Okay, now you can start rhyming.” He grinned. “Wine.”

“Fine.”

“Dine.”

“Line." “Mine.”

They continued on like that for a while, the rest of the drive passing by quickly. It was easy to have fun together, just the two of them.

“Here, take this turn here,” Y/N pointed to a dirt road off the side of the highway they were on. Edward gave her an unsure look but turned onto the road anyway. They traveled down the dirt road, trees close on either side, yellowing leaves falling down onto the car as they drove underneath.

“Where does this go?” Edward wondered aloud, looking around in awe. It was very beautiful, much better than the litter covered streets of Gotham. Just then the trees opened up to a large expanse of water, a huge lake.

“You can pull up over here on the side,” Y/N said, gesturing to a little dirt patch by the edge of the water. “This used to be an old camping ground, I don’t think it is anymore but I used to come here when I was younger,” she explained, her eyes looking over the landscape, taking it in as Edward carefully backed up the car to the edge of the water. “I haven’t been back in years.”

Edward went to the back of his vehicle and pried open the hatchback, its hinges making an awful groaning noise. Stupid piece of shit, Edward thought. He frowned as he saw how dingy and dirty the back of his car was, it was just an old beat up junker after all. His skin crawled at the idea of sitting on it. Spotting the duffel bag, he pulled the blanket out of it and laid it in the back seat. There. That's nicer. “We can sit back here now, Y/N,” he called to her as he climbed into the back. It was a slightly awkward fit with his tall frame but he could manage. He gazed over the water as Y/N climbed into the back with him. “This place is really pretty. I never got outdoors much since I grew up in the Orphanage. All of the field trips,” If you could even call them that, Edward thought, “were to places within the city.” “That’s sad,” Y/N frowned. “I guess I couldn’t really see them having the funds to go that far out of the city, but still. You deserved better,” she mused, looking out over the water. Edward felt his stomach jump at her last comment, he glanced over at her and felt painfully aware of how close they were sitting. “So, um,” he stammered a bit, “How often did you come here?” He directed his attention back at the water which was now reflecting the vibrant pinks and oranges of the setting sun.

“Mmm,” Y/N seemed a bit lost in her thoughts for a moment before continuing. “My grandparents would take me here every summer when I was growing up, and then as a teen I would drive out here by myself after they passed.” Y/N shivered. “It’s like my special place I guess. I can always come here to clear my mind or–” she stopped suddenly, rubbing her arms, “I guess I could always come here to clear my mind.” She looked so sad… Edward hated it. “What do you mean?” He asked, looking at her curiously. They both sat in silence for a beat as the sun dipped below the horizon line. “Well,” Y/N sighed, gathering her thoughts. “It’s just that I haven’t been able to come out here since I got sick,” she looked down. “It’s this thing where I’m afraid to drive all the way out here by myself anymore because what if I get hit with symptoms and am unable to drive back?” Edward noticed Y/N shivering again. “And usually I don’t have the energy for an hour-long drive both ways here and back anyway.” She brushed her hair from her eyes, looking back out over the water. “Hold on a second,” Edward said, leaning back and reaching over his seats. He sat back up with his discarded green jacket. “Here, you look cold.” He might not be able to remedy her illness, he thought, but he could help her be more comfortable in this moment at least. Y/N took the jacket and pulled it on over herself. Watching her do this, Edward suddenly felt flustered, something about Y/N wearing his clothes made him feel anxious somehow, like he was stressed out for some reason. “Is that glow over the tree line Gotham?” he asked, ripping his eyes away from her and recomposing himself.

“Yeah. When it gets a bit darker, you can see the actual city lights more clearly,” she replied. Edward wished that they weren’t able to see Gotham from here––he didn’t want that city’s filth anywhere near Y/N’s favorite place. “I’ve really, really, really missed this place,” Y/N said softly, pulling Edward from his thoughts, “Thank you for taking me here.”

“I wish I could just protect you from everything,” Edward replied without thinking. Shit. Shouldn’t have said that out loud. Y/N was looking at him, her eyes wide.

“Oh, here. I stole this for you,” Edward said suddenly, internally cursing himself and his stupid mouth. “Um, p-pardon my reach,” he stammered, leaning over to Y/N and pulling out the card from his jacket pocket that she was wearing. “I’m Dog Gone Crazy Over You My Valentine,” Y/N read aloud, looking over the card, which was a vintage valentine with a picture of a beagle on it. “I, um, I thought you would like it because you used to work at an animal shelter,” Edward explained, nervous that he couldn’t quite discern her reaction. Y/N was silent as she looked down at the card, and then back up at Edward again. Y/N looked into Edward’s eyes, her face filled with emotion before reaching up and gently placing her hand against Edward’s cheek.

Edward didn’t know what to do. He froze, unsure if he could even form words, and then suddenly, as if it was a reflex, he closed his eyes and relaxed into her hand, feeling its warmth against his skin. For Edward’s entire life he had gone without love, without a single caring touch and he was tired of being starved of it. He was tired of being alone, and he was tired of trying to pretend like he wasn’t. He let out a long shaky breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

“Y/N?” Edward asked without opening his eyes.

“Yes?” she responded breathlessly. “I want to kiss you… May I kiss you?” he asked quietly but urgently, trying to ignore the growing anxiety that he may be ruining everything by even asking. “Yes… Please,” Y/N whispered back eagerly, unable to hide the strong desire in her voice. Edward leaned in close, bringing his hands up to either side of her face, gently thumbing back her hair, before hesitating, “I’ve never done this before,” he admitted, he felt uncertain, his mind unable to focus on anything other than longing and doubt. “It’s okay,” Y/N reassured him, placing her hand on top of his before running it down along his arm. “Like this.” And then she was kissing him, her lips pressed to his, surprisingly warm and soft. Edward felt electric, like every cell within him was full to bursting. He reveled in the closeness, the feeling of Y/N under his hands. For once in his mind there was no lingering anger, no sorrow, just her and only her.

He pulled away from the kiss, dazed, leaning his forehead against hers. “Oh.” Edward exhaled more to himself than to Y/N. “That was nice,” he murmured, his face flushed. Y/N giggled. “It really was.” She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair and then kissed him again. Edward was surprised, and faltered a bit before pulling her closer. The fact that she was kissing him, that she wanted to continue kissing him, Edward was coming undone. He had been invisible his whole life, no one had ever given him a chance. But now… In the heat of the moment with surprising strength, he pulled Y/N up and into his lap and she gasped a bit at the sudden intensity, moaning softly. The sound she made set his mind on fire, and he kissed her like he had nothing to lose. He wasn’t alone anymore, he wasn’t alone and Y/N was here, with him, in his grasp. He leaned back, resting his weight against the car seat, and Y/N straddled him, deepening the kiss. She bit down gently on his lower lip and he felt like his mind was blue-screening, heat rushing through him. He gripped her hips and pulled her against him roughly, idly wondering how any of this was real. Y/N shuddered under his hands, kissing him deeply, her tongue brushing against his, as Edward was overwhelmed with the feeling of need. She pulled back to press more kisses to his lips before kissing him all over his face. She stopped for a moment, trying to catch her breath, her face red.

Edward panted heavily, looking up at her, “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice coming out low and gravelly. Y/N let out a long frustrated exhale, before slumping her head down on his shoulder. “Okay, so this is embarrassing but,” she groaned, hiding her face in his neck, “my heart rate is getting a little too high.” ‘Oh!” Edward filled with pride, “That’s alright Y/N.” He grinned practically from ear to ear and rubbed her back reassuringly. “Um.. if it makes you feel any better, that was really really nice.” He tilted his head back against the seat, his mind swimming. He couldn’t really string coherent thoughts together at the moment. Heart rate too high… heart rate.. Oh!

“Hold on a second, I have something that might help.” As much as he didn’t want to, he helped move Y/N off his lap so he could move. He bent over the car seat and searched the duffel bag he had brought for a moment before readjusting and offering Y/N a bottle. “Gatorade. I heard electrolyte drinks help with heart rate,” he explained as Y/N took a drink. She laughed, and Edward smiled, still in a complete daze.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for so long,” Y/N confessed. “W-with me?” Edward asked incredulously. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. For so long? How long? What? Y/N gave him an amused look, “Who else would I be talking about Eddie?” she reached over and intertwined her fingers with his. Edward had always wondered about holding hands. It had seemed inconvenient to him, but now he understood it. He would have never been able to guess how nice something like this could feel.

“Can I touch your hair again?” Y/N asked him, blushing, “I just… I just think your hair is so cute.”

Edward was truly at a loss for words at that, he had never been complimented before let alone have someone think that he was cute. “I um.. Yeah sure?”

Y/N reached over and tousled his hair, “It’s just so pretty.” she giggled. Edward felt very self conscious and resisted the urge to move away, instead focusing on how her hand felt in his hair. It did feel nice. “Um.. Thank you,” he said quietly, “I wash it.” He felt quite embarrassed for some reason. It felt odd to him that he had no problem kissing her, but taking a compliment was so difficult.

“I… I think that you’re very pretty too, Y/N.” Edward managed to stutter out.

Y/N smiled at him and he smiled back, happy to be there with her.

Y/N looked around and only then did Edward note how dark it had gotten outside, the only light being the few stars you could see through the light pollution from Gotham City in the distance. “We should probably head back now,” Y/N smiled apologetically. “I’m so sorry to make you drive in the dark.” Edward waved her off, “When I was a delivery boy I used to ride around in the dark constantly, but” he continued, meeting her gaze, “we should get you home so you can get some dinner and some rest.” Y/N pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, “Alright, Eddie.” Edward felt himself flush all over again. The drive home was peaceful and Y/N ended up falling asleep just 20 minutes into the drive. Edward glanced over at her sleeping figure fondly and thought to himself, I WILL protect her from everything.

—-----------------------------------

After dropping off Y/N and then coming home that night, Edward was on fire.

Standing in front of the mirror in his full Riddler ensemble he grabbed his army surplus mask and pulled it on over his face. He felt invigorated after his outing with Y/N, and when he put on the outfit he felt so powerful. He really was going to change this city. Expose their lies. He grinned widely as he imagined the mansion that he and Y/N had visited yesterday, washed away by the flood. The world born anew.

It was 10 PM and he whipped open his laptop and began his regularly scheduled stream to his now devoted band of followers. “Hey guys, thanks for coming.” He watched as the comments rolled in. “As you all know, this city is in need of a change… a real change.”

He felt his energy rising. “We all know the truth now, don’t we?” He asked slyly, “WE know about the link between Mayor Mitchell and Carmine Falcone, we’ve exposed it. Together.” He paused for a moment, letting the feeling of the Riddler run through him in waves.

“And recently I’ve found that even the Police Commissioner Pete Savage, is under the gang’s payroll.” He paused, letting the stream react to the news. “Oh but don’t worry, they are going to get what is coming to them. They are going to SUFFER as we have SUFFERED!” Edward proclaimed reverently, as if this was his sermon. His hands shaking, sweat gathering on his brow under the mask.

“So soon now, my plan is going to be put into action!” he giggled. “Judgement is going to be upon them, all of them!” He yelled, his giggles devolving into laughter, “These PARASITES that take from what is OWED TO US.”

He watched as full agreement came in from everyone in the chat. They stole and continue to steal the money that could have gone to me and the other orphans, that could have gone to Y/N. “Alas, that is all I have for you today but!” he paused before continuing, “Come to my stream next week for my plans concerning these sinners, and…” Edward giggled, “The city’s retaining wall!” With that, he closed out of the stream and fell back into his chair, panting heavily. Ripping his mask off, he took a deep breath of fresh air, unbuttoning his jacket. He pulled his hoodie up underneath to wipe the sweat from his brow. He could still feel the rage and energy pulsing through him. He was going to go through with his plans, all of them.

He would make Gotham a better place for Y/N no matter what the cost.

164 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Disarm pt. 6

Words: 2,658 Story Summary: Edward Nashton is working on his Riddler plans for Gotham when he unexpectedly meets Y/N, a chronically ill artist one night while out driving. He had always been a loner that really struggled with relating to other people and now has to reckon with his growing feelings for Y/N over time as he also continues to work on his plans in secret.

Chapter Summary: Edward and Y/N go to an estate sale together on the weekend.

Tags: edward x fem reader, slowburn, chronically ill reader, anti-social Edward, emotional distress, angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: emotional distress, panic attack symptoms, descriptions of illness, and chronic illness

(apologies for the jay gif but it kinda fits the story )

Part one (has list of all chapters at the end)

Chapter 6- You Blame Yourself For Wanting More

Edward was taking Y/N to check out an estate sale with him this weekend. It was better that they were getting out instead of staying in together, better still if he tried to stick to surface-level topics with her this time. Last week had been… a slip-up. Edward had gone over the events of their last meeting in his mind again and again, analyzing it from every angle and still he could not understand why he had been so forthcoming. He had agonized over his actions. Since when had he ever had any interest in talking about his feelings? Y/N made him feel like he was insane sometimes.

It was better to focus on something less emotional and Edward did like going to garage sales and estate sales, it was one of the few hobbies he actually had. Part of it was the curiosity of seeing how other people lived, especially the estate sales that took place in big mansions. The other was finding books, puzzles and old fashioned cards. Old fashioned cards often had silly wordplay on them that he enjoyed. Edward sat in his car, waiting for Y/N to come out. He was a little nervous. She hadn’t messaged him as much this week as she usually did. She usually averaged about 15 messages a day, give or take.

After the couch…. incident, her messages had gone down to just 3 or 5 times per day. He had checked her patient login to see if anything was up but all that was new was a blood test that came back low for Vitamin D. So maybe she had been sleeping..? Oh! There she is. Edward watched her make her way to the car. Her outfit today looks really beauti- No. It looks…nice. He wiped his hands off on his jeans before placing them back on the steering wheel. He felt restless for some reason.

“Hey Edward,” Y/N casually greeted him, settling into her seat. Edward studied her movements and her face intently as she fussed with her bag. She had smiled when she got in the car but she seemed tired to Edward. Her under eyes were a little dark, and her lips were a bit chapped but they still looked– Stop. “Hi!” Edward cheerfully replied a little too loudly. “Do you want to hear this joke I read online? It’s about otters.” One of her favorite animals, she should like that. Y/N looked at Edward, bewildered, “Um…sure?” Edward started the car, pulling out into the street, “Did you hear about the stampede of otters that broke free from the aquarium?” Y/N thought for a moment, “No? What about the otters that broke free..” she looked at Edward and he smirked at her, “from the aquarium?” Edward grinned, “It was Otter chaos!” he giggled. Y/N groaned and then laughed. Edward felt relieved, she had seemed a little down before so he was glad to make her laugh.

Edward actually loved puns. They were often used in crossword puzzles and riddles and it was really nice for him to finally have someone worthy to share them with. Edward glanced over at Y/N furtively. She was resting her face against the window, passively watching the scenery pass by as they drove, he frowned. “Oh, if you check that bag on the floor, I picked up something for you in there.” Edward announced. Y/N reached down and pulled a container of Vitamin D supplements out of the white paper bag. She didn’t say anything, just looked at Edward for an explanation. “It starts getting dark in Gotham this time of year, and I thought that with your chronic illness you might be affected more than others by the daylight changes.” Edward said matter of factly without taking his eyes off the road. “That is oddly thoughtful Edward, thank you.” Y/N continued, “I actually had been meaning to pick some up, that’s so weird that you— Oh is this it?” They had pulled up to a huge mansion on a tree-lined street. It had a huge yard and Edward could see some rose bushes just behind a large ornate iron gate. “Yep.” Edward said, pulling the car into park. He looked up at the house and his eyes flashed.

“Eat the rich,” he muttered. Parasites. Y/N deserved this house more than any of the owners did, he was sure of it. I am going to get rid of all of them soon, in just a few weeks.

“Bet this house wasn’t even the owner’s only house,” he spat. “Bet this house was owned by people who made all their money off of other people working instead of actually doing it themselves,” Y/N replied. “Bet there’s a lot of stealable items in there.” Edward said, scanning the front of the building. Y/N gave him a dubious look, “I’m not trying to get arrested today, Edward.” Edward scoffed as they crossed under the gate, “As if I would let myself get caught.” —-----------------------------------

Y/N climbed out of the car slowly, feeling a bit dizzy. This time of year was always hard on her with the sudden temperature changes and the cold. She watched Edward walk ahead of her into the house, watched the way his jacket hung off of his tall frame, how the wind ruffled his messy hair. Lately all she could think of was him. Edward had come into her life so suddenly, but her life had changed because of it. She walked into the first room of the estate with him, sticking close to his back as there were many other people sifting through the estate items as well.

When she ran into Edward for the first time, she had been struggling immensely. Her illness had been getting worse and the symptoms were unbearable. She was unable to work, unable to be out for long periods of time and found herself in her room almost all of the time, her only connection to the outside world being the internet. She truly had felt like she had been forgotten by the world while everything else moved on without her.

Over time it had caused more and more distance between her and her friends, until she didn’t hear from them anymore. She had accepted it because she didn’t want to drag them down anyway. What fun was a friend that was sick all the time? That was when her night time escapades started. She hadn’t cared what would happen to her. And then we started talking regularly. She watched Edward as he inspected some old antique silverware, turning a knife carefully in his long slender fingers. They had started talking, and suddenly she wasn’t being forgotten anymore. The two of them talked about everything, she could even talk about her illness and what she was experiencing with him and he would just listen. Her illness didn’t put him off, he was often quite curious about it. On days where she was feeling too tired to talk or walk around they would just read together.

She honestly felt like he was saving her life.

Her symptoms were still awful and she was still stuck in her apartment a lot but she didn’t go out walking at night anymore. She didn’t feel as cooped-up, she didn’t feel as if she didn’t matter. “The poor have it, the rich need it, what am I?” Edward muttered to himself while rolling his eyes as they entered the next room, which seemed to be a ballroom of sorts. Y/N smiled at Edward’s back fondly. She loved his riddles. Edward was so weird sometimes, Y/N thought, her mind going back to the Vitamin D pills waiting in the car, but she loved that about him.

Ugh, I’ve got to stop thinking like that. She had to stop indulging these feelings, she never wanted to make Eddi–Edward, uncomfortable. He had practically fallen over himself to get away from her the last time they had met up at his apartment. She thought of how he had immediately taken her home after she had touched him. She winced at the memory.

Plus Edward was brilliant. Smarter than anyone she had ever met, and a lot of times she felt like she couldn’t keep up. I’m not smart enough for him. She took a deep breath to clear her thoughts and to her dismay felt like she wasn’t getting enough air. Ugh not this again. She continued walking on with Edward through the rooms, each grander than the last. “Do you think they really need 3 living rooms? Seems excessive,” she wondered out loud. “You already know what I think, Y/N.” Edward retorted, glowering at his surroundings. Y/N did know, she could only guess the number of irritated remarks he was thinking behind his beautiful green eyes. All of the thoughts going on underneath the messy brown hair. She sighed again, turning her gaze anywhere other than Edward. Ugh, my head feels weird. Y/N noted that her arms and legs were starting to feel heavy and off balance, her hands and fingers feeling numb as well. She clenched and unclenched her hands trying to get the pins and needles feeling to go away but it wasn’t helping. She kept trying, but she couldn’t get a full breath in either. Shit. Okay. Don’t panic. Half of the battle of controlling her symptoms was just controlling the panic that came with having them in a public place. She counted inhales and exhales but was still extremely lightheaded, and it was only getting worse. She would have to admit defeat this time. She quickly walked over to Edward who was carefully inspecting some vintage cards on a table. She reached up and lightly tugged on the back of his dark green jacket, her heart rate climbing. “Ed…Eddie..” she mumbled, trying not to panic. Edward turned around, and gently took her outreached hand into his, “Mmm?” He looked into her eyes with a concerned look, “What’s wrong?” His green eyes searching her face for answers. Y/N could feel her face getting hot from him being so close and holding her hand so gently. She almost couldn’t bear his concerned gaze. “I…I don’t feel so good, I think I need to go home.” she looked down at the ground. She hated this. She hated always being the one to ruin plans, to end outings early because her stupid body didn’t work normally. She was jerked out of her thoughts as she realized she was being pulled. Wordlessly, Edward took her hand in his, and led her back through the house, pushing through large groups of people. Some people gave him dirty looks or tried to protest but he just pushed past them quickly, not stopping until they were outside. Once outside, he pulled her straight over to a wrought-iron bench in the gardens, “Sit.” Y/N sat down, looking up at him, “I don’t think we’re supposed to be over here Eddie.” “You think I care about what some rich people do or don’t want me to do?,” he asked, pacing in front of the bench a bit. He seemed… on-edge. “You needed a place to sit, I’m going to find you a place to sit.” He stopped pacing and turned to Y/N. She felt like she was being examined and it made her feel flustered. He crouched down in front of her, “What’s going on?” he asked softly. “I’m… I’m just getting light-headed and having some breathing problems… My heart rate is a little high too. I think I need to go home.” She bit the inside of her cheek and looked at the ground. “I’m super sorry, we weren’t here for very long…” she apologized while getting up. She was so embarrassed that this was happening. “Don’t apologize to me.” Edward interjected, sternly. “But– you would have been here for way longer if it wasn’t for me!” Y/N argued, trailing behind him back to the car. Edward turned around and faced her, “Do you have any evidence to back up that statement?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. “I–It’s….You– you would of–” Y/N floundered. “That’s not even a sentence.” Edward scolded, “Come on, Y/N, we need to get you home.”

------------------------------------------

Pulling up outside of Y/N’s house Edward helped her inside. If she had seemed sad before when he picked her up, it was worse now. Seeing her this way made the anger rise inside of him.

He had already been angry, inside that giant mansion, looking at how the other half lived while everyone else was forced to beg for scraps. A fucking ballroom. These assholes can afford a fucking ballroom, while the rest of us can barely pay rent. And then Y/N had gotten sick, a shining example of where that money would be better spent. It made him fucking furious.

Being angry right now isn’t going to help anything. Being angry was fuel for The Riddler, right now he needed to be Edward Nashton.

“Hey,” Edward started, doing his best to swallow the rising anger, “How about tomorrow, after you rest… I take you anywhere you wanna go?” he suggested. “I have the day off.” Internally Edward was berating himself. I have SO much engineering work on my traps left to do that I was going to do tomorrow.. That's why I took the damn day off.

But still, she had just looked so defeated. He was going to save Gotham, sure, but she was his first priority.

Edward felt a shiver down his spine when he realized that his last thought was true. She made all the work worth it. At first it was just for him, but now with someone else to look out for it made the work more rewarding.

“Are you sure Edward?” Y/N asked from her spot on the couch, resting with her arm over her eyes.

Edward nodded, “Yes. I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t want to.”

Y/N was quiet for a time, seeming to consider it. “Well, there is this place outside of Gotham that I’ve been wanting to go see again. It’s really pretty and it's nice to get out of the city.”

She raised her arm off of her eyes to look at Edward. “It’s about an hour out though.. I can think of somewhere else” she said, changing her mind.

“No, let's go there tomorrow. I could use time out of the city.” Edward replied. Any day where I don’t have to be reminded of the lies this city is built upon is a good one.

“Are you sure?” Y/N asked, worriedly. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“Stop asking me the same question. Yes.” Edward sighed, “You should get some rest Y/N. Do you want to go tomorrow afternoon?” He asked, looking at Y/N expectantly.

“Sure,” Y/N smiled. “That sounds good.” She turned over on the couch, pulling a blanket that was folded on the top of it over her.

“Okay, I’m gonna let you get some rest…” Edward watched as she curled up on the couch, he wanted to pull the blanket up over her more but resisted the urge. “Please make sure to lock the door behind me when I leave okay?” He felt an ache in his chest watching her sit back up and smile at him. He wanted to stay in the apartment with her so badly. It was strange because normally he wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

“I will! See you tomorrow Edward.”

Edward returned the smile and then left the room, gently closing the door behind him. He stood there until he heard the door latch a few minutes later, and with a heavy sigh, walked back out to his car.

Previous Next

157 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Disarm pt. 18

Words: 2.5 K

Summary: Y/N has an unexpected visitor on a rough day.

Tags: chronically ill reader, violence, unhinged reader

Warnings: depressive thinking in regards to being chronically ill, sexual harrassment, coercion, violence, blood author's note: well.

Chapter 18- Who Decides Who's Crazy?

Edward was gone today. He was at his apartment, working. He wouldn’t be back tonight either because he was going to do another stake-out at the Iceberg Lounge. Y/N was fine with this anyway, she had that familiar dull ache at the top of her neck and knew that it would slowly grow into a full fledged migraine. It would be terrible if I was out with him and he had to stop whatever he was doing because of me. She was laying on her bed, arm over her face as she rested with the lights off. Maybe with a little luck she would be able to fall asleep before the worst of it came. Her mind was fighting her though, restless with thought. Remember when you didn’t feel like shit every day? Remember when you could do whatever you wanted, all the fun you used to have? Obviously, she remembered. You were better back then. Memories floated through her mind. There she was, first year in the city, out on her own. She always looked cute then, she had put so much effort into her appearance. None of the scrubby comfortable clothes for being at home or in bed all day had been present in her wardrobe then. She had gotten up early, gotten coffee (something she could no longer have) with money she had from a job. Remember that? You used to work full 8 hour days, 5 days a week no problem. There she was, walking through the art museum, taking time to admire each work, her mind fully focused on the experience. No constant body-checking for symptoms, no panic or fear setting in that her legs would no longer hold her up. No heart palpitations, chest pain or shortness of breath. It was just her, and a healthy body that she had taken for granted at the time, and rooms full of art. After, she had taken a walk through the park, and then had gone and done some shopping later. She never worried about energy levels back then, just did what she felt like doing. She had gone home to her cute apartment, made dinner for herself, cleaned and gone to bed. Days like that had been so commonplace back then, something she couldn’t imagine doing now. If she was lucky, now she could do one maybe two activities in a day before having to lay down to recover. Her life had been so much larger before, had so much more promise. Now her whole life had been shrunk down to the size of her apartment, and on certain days, just her bedroom. When the pain got bad on days like this, she spiraled. She was a wound pretending to be a person. Eddie would have liked you better before. You’re no fun now. You can’t do anything. Her throat felt painful as she struggled to swallow, her lower lip starting to wobble. Stop. Stop thinking like that. These types of thoughts never led her anywhere good. Besides, if she were to actually cry right now that would make the pain of the migraine ten times worse and bring it on much quicker. THUD THUDSomeone was knocking on her door. Eddie? She thought he wasn’t going to be around today, maybe he had forgotten something? Brushing away tears from her eyes, she was almost thankful for the distraction. She got up, making her way to the door, the pressure in her head throwing her balance off slightly, pain settling in behind her eyes. She opened the door to find her landlord standing there. Huh?She had no idea what he was doing there, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable, crossing her arms over her pajama shirt. Good thing I decided to put on sweatpants today. He stood there in an oversized winter jacket, eyes narrowed and darting around. He was always an unpleasant man to deal with. Gotham had more than its fair share of scummy landlords and she felt like this guy was one of the worst. However when you were sick all the time and could barely scrape by you unfortunately just had to take what you could get.

“Oh- hi, what’s… What’s going on?” She asked, genuinely confused as to why he was there. The pounding in her head was making it hard to formulate words, and she hoped that whatever this was about would be over soon so she could lay down.

“Just here to do an inspection,” he grumbled as he pushed his way past her into the apartment.

An inspection? This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now. Her stomach flipped and her face felt hot.

“Um- I’m pretty sure you need to give 24 hours before you can just show up here,” the pain zapped her energy to be nice. Her world was so small and shitty already and her apartment was the only thing she had other than Eddie. It was her safe place to be and now he was here, unannounced, ruining it.

He ignored her and continued stalking around her apartment. “Pretty sure I can do whatever I want since I own this building.” He responded, condescendingly.

“Besides, I got a call from someone a while ago about seeing someone climbing through a window here? I just want to make sure my tenants are okay.”

His concern was so insincere and his smile made her skin crawl. That must have been Eddie, she thought. When he came back to the apartment. That had happened over a week ago, if it had been a real threat she would have been dead by now. What a useless scumbag. “Well I can assure you that I’m fine, thanks for checking on me.” Leave.

He went into the living room and she quickly followed, wanting him to get the hell out of her space. He walked over to where the space heater was plugged into the wall.

He made a disapproving sound before reaching down and violently yanking the cord out of the wall. “You can’t have this in here. It could start a fire,” he huffed. “I’ll be taking this.”

Y/N’s blood was boiling. “You can’t take that. It’s my personal property, and its fucking freezing in here. I wouldn’t need to have it if you fixed the heating and actually took care of this place!”

He smiled at her. “This is my building, ma’am, and you are endangering it by having this in here. I’m taking it to protect my property.”

She hated him. She hated this man, hated this situation. Him and his stupid smug look. She knew he was probably getting off on this in some sick way, holding power over her. It’s not like she could fight him on it, though. She needed a place to live. She wasn’t sure what the future held for her and Eddie but for now her name was on this lease and she didn’t want a black mark on her rental history.

“Okay, fine, whatever, just please leave, I don’t feel good.” She was done arguing, she needed him gone. Eddie had a back up heater anyway and she would be plugging that in as soon as this asshole was gone.

“Before I go, I need rent early this month,” he sighed, while taking a seat on her couch.

That statement took a moment to register with Y/N. She looked at him in confusion.

“Running a little low on funds, the holidays coming up and all so I’m gonna be needing it early.” He continued, as if that was a reasonable request.

“I don’t…” Y/N’s hands were shaking and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest, the adrenaline in her body and pain in her head was making it hard to focus. “What?”

He gave an aggravated sigh, and spoke slowly, as if she was a child, “I… need… rent… early.. This… month…”

Y/N couldn’t believe this was happening, she was so angry she felt like she was going to explode. She hated feeling powerless. She was thankful Edward was gone at least so he wouldn’t have to see her being treated in this way. She was embarrassed that this vile man could make her feel so powerless.

“I don’t… I don’t have it yet.” She answered, incredulously. “I still have a week left.”

“Well that’s a shame then, I guess I could just evict you.”

The room was spinning, inky black rage was bubbling up inside of Y/N. She couldn’t believe this man, that any of this was happening.

“I know that you’ve been having someone over here most nights, two people living here when there is only supposed to be you here…” he continued, his smile widening— showing too many teeth.

“And using equipment that’s dangerous for the building,” he added, gesturing to the space heater in his hand. He was still smiling, as if all of this was incredibly amusing to him.

Y/N regretted being so assertive with him earlier, she didn’t know what to do, couldn’t think of what words to say. She didn’t want to beg this horrible man to let her stay here but she felt like she didn’t have a choice.

She stood frozen by her desk, the rage and humiliation and fear coursing through her body. Every cell in her body wanted to scream at him, to stand up for herself but she felt frozen. Her landlord must have noticed her distress because he spoke again before she did.

He stood up from the couch and made his way over to her, “Hey– it’s alright, I’m sure we can work something out.”

Y/N looked at him, only noticing then that her eyes were teary. She was shaking.

He put his hand on her arm and she wanted to scream, to shove him to the ground— to do anything.

“There are other things you could do for me..” He was much closer now, and she felt his disgusting breath on her skin, “We could come to an understanding..” his hand moved from her arm to her waist.

She recoiled immediately, and backed into the desk behind her. Her utensils and organizers shaking with the thud. Some pencils rolled off the desk and clattered to the ground.

“Get away from me,” she managed to spit out.

“Are you sure you wanna be like that?” he asked, moving closer once again, “Wouldn’t want to have to put you on the streets.”

He put both of his hands on her waist then, one hand reaching around her back. She couldn’t get away from him, her back painfully pressed against her desk. She scrambled backwards, trying to get out of his reach and then she felt it. Her fingers touched her brush organizer. It was an ugly thing she had gotten as a gift. It was brown, large and heavy. A thick ceramic vase that was wide and tall and didn’t fit in much anywhere else but it was good for holding even the largest and tallest of paint brushes. She grabbed it and smashed it into the side of his skull. She felt like she was outside of herself, watching him as he fell to the ground immediately, hands pressed to his head. He was on his knees, and she watched as he pulled his hands away from his head. His fingers were trembling and covered in blood. He screamed something at her but she didn’t hear it. It looked something like, “You crazy bitch” or maybe, “You little bitch,” but all she could hear was ringing in her ears, her heartbeat, her breathing. I’ll show you fucking crazy. She brought the vase down again, into his face this time as he tried to get back up. Again. And again. And again. She beat him all over it with it. It felt good. She was tired of him, and people like him taking and taking and taking because they could. Tired of getting fucked over. Tired of being tired. Tired of being powerless. Tired of feeling like a kicked dog. He wasn’t moving anymore and she stopped. The raw energy flooded out of her as she looked down at him. Oh god. He wasn’t moving.

He wasn’t moving.

Did I kill him? She dropped the ceramic vase to the ground, her hands and clothes were spattered with blood. Now her hands were shaking. She was shaking. Her teeth chattered. She dropped to her knees and felt his chest. He’s still breathing. What do I do now? She had attacked him but he wasn’t dead. That meant he would get up at some point. She felt panicked, pure fear running through her. She was going to get evicted, she was going to go to jail. Her life was over. Wait. EddieDuh. Her boyfriend was the goddamn Riddler, the smartest person in Gotham. He would know what to do. Still, she was terrified. It was hard for her to keep her thoughts straight. She had to keep him here. Call Eddie, he’ll know what to do. She grabbed her unconscious landlord and hefted him up onto her chair. She was surprised she was able to lift him, but it was probably the adrenaline. The pain behind her eye was piercing now, her head on fire. She felt like she was gonna be sick. She ran to her junk drawer, digging through it messily. There. A thick roll of duct tape. With the tape in hand, she approached the landlord, hoping he wouldn’t wake up. —--- ? —--- Edward ran a hand through his hair, before leaning back to stretch. He had been hunched over his desk for hours now. He had every last detail of Falcone’s schedule down, the names of his guards, and their schedules. He went over it again and again, memorizing it. He would start his stakeout in an hour and a half, and he needed to eat before then. Pushing his chair back, he reached for his phone. He wanted to check in with Y/N for the night before she went to bed. There were several missed calls from her and a voicemail. His stomach dropped at the amount of calls. She never left voicemails either. Something had to be very, very wrong.

Listening to the voicemail, he could hardly make out her words. She was sobbing and sounded frantic. He could just barely make out: “Please… come over,” and “I need help.”

Edward’s heart was cold as ice as he left the apartment. He called her on the way out but she didn’t answer, only causing his anxiety to heighten. He was almost in tears by the time he made it to his car, fearing the worst.

He sped the entire way there.

#the riddler x you #dano!riddler #danonation #danocel #the riddler fanfiction #riddler x reader #edward nashton x you #riddler x you #edward nashton x reader #edward nashton x chronically ill reader #the riddler x unhinged reader

97 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

hey here is my fic on a03 if anyone prefers to read it there! (i update my a03 first when posting new chapters btw)

#edward nashton fanfiction #dano!riddler #the riddler fanfiction #the riddler #the riddler angst #the riddler hurt/comfort #the riddler x chronically ill reader #riddler x reader #edward nashton x reader #edward nashton x you

23 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Art my friend made for my Riddler/Edward Nashton x chronically ill reader fanfic Disarm! Her @ on twitter is @Emilycottonbird

521 notes · View notes

writingsofmax · 2 years

Text

Disarm pt. 2

Words: 2,010 Story Summary: Edward meets up with Y/N at a diner for coffee at her request and tries to practice being a person. It turns out to be difficult for him and things don't really go as planned. Tags: slowburn, diner date, chapter two, getting to know you, chronically ill reader, anti-social Edward

Chapter 2- Disarm You With A Smile

Part one here

It had been two days since the late night incident and Edward hadn’t been contacted by Y/N. He figured that she had forgotten about him or wasn’t going to follow through on her promise. Unsurprising. Everyone always forgot about him. No one in this world was ever grateful for anything he did.

Not that it mattered––he had far more important things to be working on. Working at KTMJ was going fine. Numbers were something that made sense to Edward. There was always a formula to follow, always a correct answer to slot into place.

He did just enough of looking over various Gotham business transactions, tracking receipts and writing reports of his findings so his supervisors wouldn’t have reason to watch him closely. The rest of the time he spent delving more into the Gotham Renewal fund and where it was really going. It was easy to become hyper-focused and the hours flew by quickly. Seeing how much the rich scum of Gotham used their money and how little of it went to their employees filled him with purpose. You’re all going to get what’s coming to you. Every last one of you parasites, he thought, typing the last words on his report for the day.

Putting on his jacket, he pulled out his phone from the pocket. There was a text from an unknown number. Hey Edward! It’s me, Y/N! Sorry for not texting you sooner! I had to recuperate after all of that craziness.

There was another text message from Y/N: I still want to take you out for coffee or something, are you available anytime this week? Just let me know, and thanks again!!

Recuperate? Interesting. I guess I could be available this week just to get it over with, Edward considered. The last thing he wanted to do after having to be around the insufferable idiots that worked at KTMJ was go and involve himself in more social activity, especially with someone stupid enough to get themselves in such a dangerous situation so late at night.

Still, he hated to admit it but his interpersonal skills were… less than satisfactory. If he wanted his plan to work out, he was going to have to try and work at holding a conversation. All the best leaders were charismatic––he saw it in his research.

Sighing through his nose, he typed: Hello, Y/N. Coffee is fine. Meet me at the Gotham Diner at 2 P.M. this Saturday.

He pressed “send.” There. That’s a pleasant message, he thought to himself on his way out to his car. Once he was home, he got right to work on his plan to expose everyone involved with the embezzlement of the Renewal Fund. He had been slowly gathering a dedicated following from the information he had been posting online detailing the flow of cash only to Gotham's politicians and highest members of the police force. The link of corruption between Gotham’s beloved Thomas Wayne and Carmine Falcone. Disgusting Pigs. This world would be better without them. That money was supposed to go to people who needed it. It was supposed to go to the orphanage, it was supposed to go towards building new schools and hospitals, to the people that needed it most. But no––the filthy upper crust that already had everything that they could possibly want in life, needed more money to burn while everyone else suffered. It was them that needed to suffer. I am going to make them suffer while everyone else watches––

At that moment, Edward’s phone buzzed again, snapping him out of his reverie. His hands stung, and he realized that he had been clenching his fists so hard that his fingernails had left cuts in his palms. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he checked his phone. Another message from Y/N.

2 at the Diner this saturday sounds great! I’ll see you then! :)

Edward felt like he had a stomachache––he actually had a meeting with someone this weekend. That had never happened before. He was only mildly annoyed that Y/N hadn’t capitalized “Saturday,” and decided not to send her anything back about it.

On Saturday, Edward made it to the Gotham Diner at 1:55, in time to be seated at a table at 1:59. He was about to leave at 2:03 upon finishing his crossword puzzle he brought with him when he saw Y/N come through the door. She smiled widely when she spotted him and rushed over.

“Hey Edward! I hope you weren’t waiting long?” she asked, settling into the booth across from him.

At that moment, a waitress came over and flipped the two mugs on the table over, pouring hot coffee into each one. “Hi, welcome to Gotham Diner, how are you two doing today?”

“Good!” Y/N smiled, “Thank you for the coffee”

“No problem, here are the menus for you, I’ll be back in a minute––” “I’m just having coffee today,” Edward interjected.

“Coffee will be fine for me as well. Thank you though!” Y/N said, handing back the menus. “I thought I said 2 P.M.?” Edward asked, flatly after the waitress had left. He knew he had said 2 P.M. but was trying to be nice. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I that late? Didn’t mean to make you wait.” She looked very sincere, Edward thought. “It’s alright I guess,” he said, stirring his coffee to avoid eye contact.

Y/N eyed the crossword puzzle he had been working on, “You’ve been here long enough to finish a crossword?” She pulled it over to her side to get a better look, “and you do them in pen?” Edward braced himself for the usual comments of how weird he was, or how nerdy it was or how it was a waste of time. “That’s AMAZING!” her eyes were wide as she looked over his answers. “I can never do these! I can usually guess only one or two but I have to look the rest up. Wow!” She was very enthusiastic and Edward was taken aback. He felt his face and his ears growing warm. “They’re really easy,” he concluded, taking the paper back a little too quickly. Y/N laughed, “Maybe to you! I wish I was better at them.” “Well,” Why am I explaining this, “the answers are usually one of two types, wordplay or trivia. You can also start with answers that you know are plurals and fill in all the S’s first to give you clues on the other answers.” He glanced up at her, and she was disconcertingly, staring right at him hanging on his every word. She didn’t even look bored.

“U-Um, what do you do?” Edward asked, suddenly, wanting the attention off of him. “Oh, well right now I don’t really do that much, um I used to work at an animal shelter though,” she looked down and picked at her nails, “Right now I’m just at home mainly, and I work on art, what about you? What do you do?” “I’m a forensics accountant.” Edward drew a little, mainly engineering diagrams of the traps he was making for his anti-corruption plan and details for the disguise he wanted to wear when he decided to go live. He appreciated the arts, it showed imagination in a person at least. Someone that could make something rather than just mindlessly consume. It was admirable. The animal shelter comment intrigued him as well, he found himself wondering why she had quit. “Forensics? Like, a crime scene?” she asked, leaning in with interest. Edward should have seen this one coming, that’s what people always thought. He sighed, “No, it’s mainly just accounting. That’s why it’s called a Forensics Accountant.” He said, taking a sip of his coffee. She frowned and Edward felt a little…bad. He wasn’t sure why but he continued, “I guess I do investigate crimes, just financial ones,” her expression lifted a bit and Edward felt less uneasy and continued, “I look at business transactions and investigate matters of stealing or embezzling. I have to make sure everything is accounted for––I mainly write reports.” “You must be good with numbers too then!” she smiled warmly. Edward felt the warmth coming back to his face. “You make a lot of assumptions about someone that you don’t know,” Edward snapped, feeling uncomfortable. They were positive assumptions, but still. Y/N’s face fell. “Oh… I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to offend you. I just thought…” she started fiddling with a napkin on the table, ripping its edges absent-mindedly. “Um, that to work in finance matters you had to be good with numbers. Sorry.” She continued to pull at the napkin. Edward wasn’t being very charismatic. It annoyed him that this was so hard. It also annoyed him that he felt weird about making her feel bad. It usually did not bother him to make other people feel bad. They were idiots anyways, and he mostly wanted people to leave him alone. This was different for some reason and he couldn’t figure out why. A puzzle to solve. “No, I’m sorry, I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.” That was true at least. “Oh that’s okay,” Y/N smiled weakly. “I totally get it. Thank you for meeting with me. I really did want to thank you for the other night. I don’t mean to take up your time.” The waitress came over again, and asked about refills. “Oh, no, I think I’m done with this. You can take it,” Edward noted that Y/N hadn’t touched her coffee at all.

Somewhere in the hand-off of the full cup of coffee to the waitress, something went wrong and the full cup of hot coffee ended up in Y/N’s lap. Y/N jumped up super quickly as the waitress apologized profusely. “No-no, it’s really alright! It was my fault. I thought you had a hold of it before I let go, I’m sorry,” Y/N exclaimed, her face all red. Shouldn’t she be angry? Why is she apologizing? Edward was very confused at her behavior. “Get her a towel,” he grumbled at the waitress, and she rushed off. Y/N held her stained shirt out away from her skin and pulled out some cords from underneath, “Oh, thank goodness,” she mumbled. “They’re not wet.” She put the ends of the cords, that were connected to some sort of device, back into her pants pocket. She turned and caught Edward looking confusedly at her. “Oh, it’s just a heart monitor,” she was extremely flushed and a little shaky. “It’s really nothing. Um, it was nice to meet you, Edward. I’m sorry to have to cut this short, but I need to go home and change. I really hope you have a good rest of your day.” On that note, she hurried over to the counter and pulled out her wallet to pay, gesturing to the table Edward was still sitting at before leaving. Edward just sat there, processing. A heart monitor…? So she must have some sort of medical issue then. He felt the same strange feeling in his chest that he felt when he saw where she had lived. She also didn’t stand up for herself at all. Edward didn’t like to either in public situations, but he was changing that. He was going to get revenge on everyone that had harmed him. Y/N seemed like she needed someone to look out for her.

All in all, this meeting hadn’t been as horrible as he thought it was going to be. She actually seemed like someone that wasn’t too boring or awful to be around. She made art, and she cared about animals. Caring about something other than just herself was a good quality. Caring for things that don’t have the ability to care for themselves was even… a virtuous quality. Edward Nashton had come to an uncomfortable realization: He wanted to learn more about this woman.

Part three

#dano!riddler #paul dano riddler #riddler x you #riddler x reader #paul dano #edward nashton #the riddler fanfiction #edward nashton x reader #edward nashton x you #the riddler #danonation #riddler slowburn #danocel #riddler x y/n #riddler chronically ill reader #riddler x chronically ill reader

182 notes · View notes