A/N: I´m here for everyone who is suffering because of all the unnecessary drama/angst that meanie-pants writers of Gotham are making us Nygmobblepot shippers live. If you are a mild shipper, a hardcore shipper, none of them, and/or a member of the Squad (thanks to AB Tumblr haha) you are welcome to calm down and relax reading a dose of weekly of cuteness here.
Talking about Aurora Borealia, a HUGE thank you for her! For convincing me to start (surpassing my shyness) this little fluffy project and for proofreading for me today and the next ones! Also for having an amazing Tumblr! You guys should check it and the story she wrote about Ozzy and Ed too!
This project has no date to end. I accept prompts from anyone to know what you want to read. Now enjoy! R&R!
Chapter 1: Origins
Gotham was as gray and uneasy as ever. The beginning of autumn wasn´t enough to change that even with the new orange, yellow and red colors in the leaves covering the streets and the roofs of the buildings, mostly because the trees were looking naked and dead without them.
Of course kids were enjoying the weird weather (neither cold nor warm as he would say) as Mayor Cobblepot could see against his own will that day during a mandatory charity event at an orphanage, an event to raise funds so it would remain open(event that lasted until late evening). So as the head of Gotham not only did he have to attend but also to donate a generous sum of money, but the worst part of all? Being there without Ed. Oswald hated him for it. He was his Chief of Staff, how could Nygma have another commitment at the same day and time? And how could it be more important?
If it was any other person, he would be dead for such lack of loyalty, but Oswald just loved Ed too much to kill him, and was very grateful to have him in his life as part of his staff and as boyfriend. And was also grateful for the wonderful hours they had shared in bed last night before Nygma told him what his only appointment for the next day would be and that he wouldn´t be there. He knew how much Oswald hated children thanks to all the bullying he suffered in his life. Luckily, the press vultures were already gone and the party was almost over so he could go home while thinking of a way to get revenge on his lover, despite having to admit that the place was quite nice for an orphanage, as it was a huge antique house just like in the movies, with a lot of outdoor space filled with green and small wildlife. Oswald was coming up with the perfect comeback plan. Or so he thought, as something caught his eye before the exit.
A child kneeling before a dry oak tree. Around her were red and yellow flowers and round black stones. The little one sang loudly and alone as if her life depended on it, and a raven followed closely. If the Mayor didn´t know better, he would believe it was a kind of ritual. Maybe the kid believed it, he thought, but what kept his attention was the song, pretty sad and melodic...
And I run and I hide in the dark
Threatened by each distant bark
Sleep little love for heaven's sake
It's not your fault, it's your cruel, ruthless fate
It's not your fault, it's your cruel, ruthless fate
What if the girl (he could identify by the voice) had been leading a life as hard as his own? Was that why she was singing such unsettling lyrics?
Prophecy of the old age
Still sounding out my son's decline
He is the one to free us from the tyrant
So I flee from bloodhounds eager to kill
And I sing sleep well sweet child
I am here to watch your dreams
It´s not that Oswald couldn´t understand this kind of feeling but seeing it in another child was starting to disturb him. Also, as the Mayor he had to make sure all the citizens were safe and fulfilled, even the kids. So he had to talk to her, just like the other day in that school with the shy boy who was lonely and needed some incentive to play with others (and to push them down the stairs if they didn´t like him).
Don't mind the wolf, he is not near
He's a friend of the night, my dear
"Excuse me, little one" he approached her carefully from behind.
"Yes?" without thinking, she turned to face him; when she did, Oswald stood frozen in utter shock. He had never seen anyone like her before, especially anyone who looked so much like himself. And like Edward at the same time! The girl had a short and skinny frame, round and glittering ice blue eyes, medium length dark coffee brown curly hair, milk pale skin, rosebud lips, a pointy and a bit long nose, a heart-shaped face face and high cheekbones. Adding this to the bird-like shape of her clavicles, he started to feel the claws of fate showing in front of his own blue eyes again, just like when he won the election and realized his feelings for Ed.
"Sorry, I didn´t mean to interrupt your... Ritual" he added after some thought.
"What?" she looked surprised. "Oh! No... I was just fooling around" she confessed with a faint shade of red in her totally white cheeks.
"What? Why?" even he was amazed with the length of this conversation.
"So I could avoid the whole charity party. Why should I stand there like an object of decoration and pretend I get along with the other kids?" she answered looking uncomfortable with the topic.
"Should I understand that you don´t have friends here?" he asked as if he was looking in a mirror.
"Well, I do have two, actually. Anna and Lily. But they like these events way more than I do so..."the look in her eyes said everything about her current solitude.
"May I ask your name, little one?" he continued kindly.
"Iris. You?" she gave back.
"I´m the Mayor Cobblepot. But you can call me Oswald if it´s easier."
"Wow, the Mayor? So you are like, the boss of everyone in the city? Even of Mother Elena?"
"Elena?" he asked with a puzzled look. He couldn´t remember having met anyone with that name in the event. Not that he cared for asking for people´s names.
"Yeah. She is the nun who takes care of us all." Iris completed with no malice or ill feelings. At least she was not being treated poorly, Oswald thought.
"I see." he said unsure. "Say, Iris, would you like to be my friend?" he tried his best to smile surpassing his former hatred for children.
"For real?"her innocent eyes sparkled so much it was almost infectious, contrasting with her quiet and timid voice.
"You bet, little one." Oswald patted her head, messing her hair.
"Oh my... Of course I do" smiled shyly.
"Good. Now if you will give me a moment, I need to talk to this Mother Elena. Keep playing safe." And he excused himself with this.
Not long after, he was inside the old house talking to some younger nuns until finally meeting Elena, an older woman, with a chubby body and ginger hair inside her office.
"So, Mayor Cobblepot. What were you asking again?" she adjusted her red-framed glasses while searching for something in a metal locker.
"Iris. I want to know about her." He repeated with his thin string of patience almost over.
"Oh. Our shy and silent Iris, of course" she laughed amused while leafing through the pages of the little girl´s file. "She is a sweet girl, but painfully timid. In five years she has made only two friends and-"
"Wait!" Oswald cut her. "How long has she been here?"
"Since she was two years old. Iris lost her parents, her only family in a car accident." The nun explained sadly.
"I would never guess... She doesn´t look resentful at all."
"That´s because she´s not, Mr Cobblepot. Iris can´t remember them, nor the events of that fateful day. She doesn´t think it´s a bad thing being here in the orphanage, it´s the only home she has ever known."
"But!" he shouted astonished. "She has no other relatives?"
"No one we know of. Her parents were from Poland, they lived here as immigrants but Iris was born here. At the very best she may have some distant ones in Europe but I doubt it, honestly. Otherwise someone would have tried to contact."
"I see." Oswald replied shocked. She was basically alone in the world. Not that the other kids at the orphanage weren´t like that, but they weren´t his problem. Only... Iris was?
"Well, what else can I tell you? Her full name is Iris Juliet Kijek, she is seven years old, born on the 23rd of December, is well-behaved, mature, melancholic and very creative. She enjoys solo activities like drawing, painting, reading and singing. She is like a little princess, even the animals like birds and rodents seek her company!" the nun kept reading and adding all she could remember, until Oswald cut her off.
"It´s enough!" Oswald barked finally. "I´ll take her."
"Excuse me, Mr Mayor?"
"Are you deaf, old lady? I said I´m taking her with me."
"Really? Are you saying you want to adopt Iris?" she couldn´t hide her wonderment.
"Well, I´m pretty sure that there´s no one more suited for the role. Although I can´t understand why is she still here after five years."
"Who knows? Maybe it´s fate, Mr Mayor. Maybe she was waiting for this exact day to come." She smiled.
"Must be it. Now I´m going to tell her" he prepared to leave.
"Wait! You must fill in the paperwork first!"
"You must be kidding me, woman. I´m the Mayor. Common people fill in paperwork, I don´t. Also, I´m not going home without Iris." There was it: the Penguin facial expression, which left no doubts.
"Perhaps your Chief of Staff would take care of the bureaucracy?"
Oswald laughed. "Perhaps not. He will be as busy as me. But you can send this to our office and maybe tomorrow I can convince him. If you know what I mean."
What an obedient girl she was; Iris hadn´t left the place where Oswald told her to wait. His hope was that she would like the news.
"Hey, Iris!"
"Oswald!" she felt at ease enough to hug him.
"So... What would you think of being more than my friend? Like, being family?"
She didn´t respond to that. Instead her eyes felt wet and warm as she couldn´t control the tears running her pale face.
"Aw, come on... Don´t cry." He tried his best to dry her eyes.
"Sorry... It´s just... A family..." she kept crying "Then I would have someone like this in the world. I would never be alone again."
"Yes. It will be a bond forever." He pulled her in for a comforting hug.
"Also, you are my only and best male friend. What could be better than having you as my dad?"
"Honey, this will get better very soon. For now let´s go to your new home."
"Okay. Ozzy must be mad at me but what could I do? How could I go to the charity event if I had to deal with all the public relations issues we had last weekend? The magazines were going to make him look like a criminal again!" Ed Nygma said to himself while waiting for his boyfriend to come home to their mansion. He was a bit worried because Oswald was late, he knew the event was already over, but he also knew it was highly illogical to suppose that something bad had happened to him. He was still the king of Gotham´s underworld after all. As it was almost dinner time anyway, Ed kept himself distracted with one of his many talents: cooking a nice meal to be forgiven for his absence. Not that he didn´t appreciate spoiling Oswald sometimes, because he definitely did; his life had became way easier when he had understood that he couldn´t find luck or happiness with women and that his soulmate was by his side the whole time.
The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts. Time to apologize. Or it was going to be if Oswald was alone.
"Hello, Ed." Oswald went on and kissed him on the lips as if nothing were different.
"What is happening here?"Ed seemed genuinely confused.
"Oh, Ed. You are a genius and yet can´t tell?"
"All I know is that you were at an orphanage event and now you´re here, late and with a kid."
"What else?"Oswald challenged him.
"Oswald, who is she?"
"Here is a riddle for you: she had no family, now she has one. I´m thinking of calling her Iris Juliet Cobblepot-Nygma."
"You. Adopted. A. Girl?!"shouted."Without telling me?!"
"I´m surprised at myself too, Ed. I still hate most kids though. But Iris is different. She is like me. And like you. Just look carefully."
"It´s really... Astounding..." Ed admitted after studying her physically. "Like if she were the result of ours DNA combined biologically."
"That´s one of the reasons she will be our daughter! Come on, Ed. It will be fun!"
"Oswald, even if I want a child, how are we going to explain... You know." He grew embarrassed.
"No. What?"
"Why there´s no feminine figure in this house and you and I..."
"Excuse me, Mr Nygma" Iris cut him in.
"Yes? Sorry, I never introduced myself properly. I´m-"
"I know. Oswald told me all about you in the car. What I want to say is that I don´t get what there is to explain. That you two are married?"
"No."
"Yes!"
"Oswald!"
"Ed!"
"We are not, Oswald."
"Legally not yet but I´m the Mayor! We could sign the papers anytime!"
"Let´s not talk about this now!"
"Look, all I´m saying is that I´m happy to find a home. I liked the nuns and all but I will be happy here anyway." Iris continued to talk.
"Let´s chat while we have dinner, okay?"Ed said to Oswald. "I made a lot of food, thinking that you would be wanting to kill me".
"Oh, our first family meal. So exciting!" Iris had never felt like this before.
"You know, Ed. I wanted to get revenge and maybe I am having it, after all now we are more bonded than ever, you will never get rid of me, with our little hummingbird here." Thinking of her love for nature and music, Oswald came up with the affectionate nickname.
"A penguin and a hummingbird? Am I living in an aviary?"Ed laughed.
"If I can stand your riddles, you can do this too."
"Fine. Let´s go shopping tomorrow."
"That´s right. We will need to buy children´s things now."
"Not only that. You and I will need something too."
"What is that?"
"All the books and guides in parenting we can find in the shelves, my lovebird."
"Also I need to tell Olga to not bother her and not let anyone bother her too." He remembered.
"By the way, do you know the origin of her name? In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow, a messenger for Zeus and Hera who rode the rainbow as a multicolored bridge from heaven to earth. In ancient times, the Iris was considered a symbol of power and majesty, the three petal segments representing faith, wisdom and valor. This colorful image led to the naming of the flower and to the colored part of the eye. And also did you know that-"
"Ed, shut up. I swear to God!"
"Yeah, daddy! Not now!" Iris agreed impatiently.
"Wow. For a timid girl she is warming up quickly huh? I'm already her daddy?" Ed struggled to not giggle at how adorable it was hearing her say that.
"Well, that's what you are, after all. We are her parents from today on. Anyway she must be hungry is she lost her temper like that." Oswald thought it was another thing they had in common. And how proud his mother would be if she could see them now and meet Iris.
"Yes. Ed is my daddy and Oswald is my papa." She smiled while making both of them hold her small hands.
So they knew what a family they were going to be.