Jim Comforts Oswald.

"Hey - who did this?!"

Jim took Oswald gently by the chin and guided it upwards. He surveyed the damage - a very black eye and an extremely bloodied nose.

It wasn't as if this hadn't happened to Oswald before - countless times - but this time, Jim felt incensed to see it. He felt so protective of Oswald that it hurt him.

"It doesn't matter, Jim." Oswald shrugged and smiled sardonically. He was used to it!

His 'rendezvous' had turned out to be rather disappointing and not at all as he had expected!

"Yes, it does!" Jim touched Oswald's cheek and then gently touched the bruised area around Oswald's eye. Oswald winced.

"Sorry, sorry…" He took his hand away from Oswald's face hastily. He delved inside his pocket and handed Oswald a clean handkerchief. "Here, this is for your nose….oh Oswald, they made a real mess of you didn't they?"

"Thanks…" Oswald dabbed at his nose, and then grasped Jim's hand and guided it back onto his cheek. "And...you didn't have to take your hand away, y'know. I am just a bit tender there, that's all."

Jim smiled momentarily at the feel of his lover's warm cheek against his willing hand. He brought up his other hand and cupped Oswald's face carefully, seeing his little man's eyes light up joyfully as he did so.

He tenderly kissed Oswald's bruised eye area, feeling Oswald close his eyes and sigh as he did so. Then he embraced him, holding him close. Oswald hugged him back emphatically.

"Tell me who did it, Oswald - please," Jim muttered, growling gruffly into Oswald's shoulder. Jim's voice sounded even grittier than normal. He was filled with a desperate need to go and pummel the life out of whoever had done this to his little Cobblepot.

"No, it doesn't matter, Jim - please, let it go!" murmured Oswald, sighing and wallowing in the warmth of Jim's arms. He squeezed Jim reassuringly.

He didn't want him getting into trouble, and he would rather he didn't know the circumstances leading to him receiving such a beating, anyway - even though Jim was all too painfully aware of the kind of misdemeanours his 'little Cobblepot' was in the habit of committing. Oswald was usually careful not to put himself in the way of danger, but this opportunity had seemed too promising to pass up on...he should have known that it was too good to be true and the whole thing was a trap. But he had still been too quick for them. The outcome could have been much, much worse….and thankfully, the result had been much, much worse for THEM than it was for him!

Now Jim and he were lovers, Jim had taken it upon himself to be his personal defender and champion. When he hurt, Jim felt pain too. Jim would do anything for him! And vice versa….although Jim hadn't yet called upon him to prove that, at least, not since they had got together….

Which was also why Oswald wasn't going to give in and tell Jim who had done this. There were far more important things for Jim to be doing with his hands than beating up on someone - besides, he didn't want him bruising those manly knuckles!

So he pulled away and said "I'll just go and clean myself up.." then he noticed that he had got some blood on Jim's shirt. "Hmmm..and I think you need to get out of that shirt too…." he said pointedly.

"Well if you're cleaning up...and I'm removing my shirt….we might just as well take a shower!"

Oswald's distraction technique had worked like a charm! And he was getting to shower with his favourite detective too. This was worth getting beaten up and almost killed for….

The warm water splashed and ran over them both, flowing over their naked bodies. Oswald began feeling Jim frantically, and Jim rapidly reciprocated. Then their bodies got close, then they were clamped to one another, arousal touching arousal.

"Jim...Jim…." gasped Oswald, his open lips begging Jim to kiss them, and Jim willingly complied - as ever.

They made love greedily, almost forcefully, Oswald no longer the shy virgin he had been, taking control and manipulating Jim in the sweetest way. Playing and toying with him, and teasing him. Working him up into a frenzy and then, "Now!" he commanded, "Do it now!" instructing Jim finally to ravish him, to claim his prize.

And when it was done, they washed each other down under the warm, flowing water. Softly and tenderly.

And afterwards, they dried one another and wrapped themselves in robes and then sat, snuggled up together, on Jim's sofa, each with a whisky in his hand.

"Do you remember," said Oswald woozily, "When we first made love, and we had to have whisky to - well, help get us in the mood?" He was feeling so mellow and relaxed!

"Oh, yeah. You were as nervous as hell!"

"Me? I was nervous? Your teeth were chattering, you were so scared!"

"Get out of here! No way were they!" Jim protested with mock indignation.

"I swear, I could hear them..chatter, chatter, chatter…" Oswald's eyes glinted with mischief.

"Shut up and come here, Cobblepot! " growled Jim, leaning forward and opening his arms invitingly, and Oswald complied eagerly, chuckling with playful glee. His hesitance was gone, his shyness definitely dispensed with. He snuggled up to Jim and nestled in against his chest. Then he calmed down and sighed contentedly as Jim's arms closed around him, warming and comforting him.

Jim pressed his lips to Oswald's hair. He inhaled deeply and with immense satisfaction. The warmth of Oswald's body….his rich, spicy scent….his wet, soft black locks feeling so sensual against his mouth….this was all he cared about right now.

He still wanted to hurt whoever had beaten his little lover. He knew Oswald was blase about it, but it didn't make him feel any better. He was so passionate about Oswald that it pained him.

He had always known that there was darkness deep within his soul - and he now knew that this part of him belonged entirely to Mr Cobblepot!

He suspected that there were many so-called law-abiding, play-it-by-the-rules officers in the police department who would put Oswald down before they even considered taking him in to custody. He was pretty sure that Barnes was one of them - and he wasn't always so sure about Harvey, fond as he was of him.

He wondered if Harvey had any inkling about what had developed between him and Oswald? If he had, he wasn't letting on. And he was sure that Harvey wouldn't be capable of any subtlety on that subject should he ever get to find out.

He knew he couldn't keep his relationship with Oswald secret forever. He chose not to think about what would happen when it was all out in the open. He knew Oswald was upset about their covert activity and wanted to be able to show Jim off - display his handsome detective on his arm at all the functions he attended, be seen out and about with him, arm in arm - and, best of all, see the expression on Barbara's face when he gave Jim their first kiss in public, hopefully, right in front of her….he was determined to make the most of it and make the most dramatic impact that he could.

He told Jim many times about this fantasy, shared when they were in bed, when Oswald was having trouble sleeping, and therefore, effectively, so was Jim.

"I would be so proud for them to see me with you. Would you be proud of me?" Oswald might be messing with Jim's hair, or touching his face, as he spoke - in that soft, seductive tone that made Jim feel like melting.

Much like tonight….when, finally, they retired to bed and were lying together in each other's arms.

"Yeah - of course I would. You know that! You know I think….well, you're…..." Jim was stroking Oswald's arm rhythmically up and down as he spoke. He cleared his throat awkwardly. He found it very easy to confess his feelings for his little Cobblepot during the act of love, but he was quite tentative about expressing them otherwise. He could declare to him that he was a 'raven haired beauty' in the height of passion, but had terrible trouble pushing the words from his mouth in the course of a normal conversation.

One thing that inspired him to heave his heart into his mouth was his jealousy over Nygma - no matter how many times Oswald tried to reassure him, it was always in the back of his mind..nagging away at him….what would happen if he came back on the scene….

But tonight was, thankfully, not one of those occasions, and it seemed as if they were to be together like this, alone and undisturbed, forever….

Jim did find himself becoming more vocal in an eloquent way when his feelings were particularly high - 'poetic', as his little Cobblepot had put it. He was convinced that Oswald's articulate and elegant way of expressing himself was beginning to have an effect on him by osmosis!

Of course, Oswald rarely had any trouble in revealing his emotions and his desires to Jim!

"You meant to say 'beautiful' - right? You know Jim - no matter how many times I hear you say that, I never tire of it!"

"Yes I did. And yes, I know. And..on that subject...I am tired, are you ready to sleep now?"

"Well, maybe if I had something to make me sleepy.."

"What - a glass of warm milk, maybe?"

"Now - Jim - don't tease. You know what I'm talking about!"

"OK, OK, I'm on it...there, is that nice?"

"Oh yeah..yeah, you know it is!"

"Good."

And then Jim would hope that his demanding but sexy little Ozzy would climax and then settle down to sleep before his own industrious arm went the same way….