Nygma

"Is he going to be okay?" Gordon asked me at the hospital. I was in the waiting room picking through magazines laying on the table.

"He should be," I responded looking to him. "Once they figure out what happened anyways."

"Who is the Riddler?" Was his next question almost cutting off my last comment.

I blinked and just shrugged, " Honestly I don't know. Probably something the drug made him visualize I am assuming."

Jim nodded. "Well you don't need to stay. I am going home."

"I will head out in a bit, I am curious on what kind of drug he was injected with."

After Jim left, I went to his room just staring in the windows at the Doctors with him.

Oswald

The doctor told me that whatever drug I had been injected with caused a fear induced psychosis. They were unsure how to help me.

Even after the effects of the drug wore off, I still saw the dead bodies of my loved ones behind closed eyelids.

Sleeping at this point was damn near impossible. So the doctor's choice was to sedate me. It relaxed me a bit, but the nightmares still came. I would awaken with a cold sweat dripping down my face, scanning nervously around. A few times, I even saw the Riddler standing over my bed with that kitchen knife and crazed smile. I put up my hands to shield myself from the abuse.

When the doctor left the room, Nygma or Gabe would come and watch over me. Gordon even checked up on me on a few occasions. I was not sure why, but I as much as I hated it, he saved my life this time. Now, I owe him.

I can only imagine the hell I was putting Nygma through right now. I mean my nightmares were haunted with visions of his Riddler persona brutally murdering everyone close to me. Even still, he stayed beside me through it all.

When I was feeling a bit better, I sat down with Gordon, Nygma, and a GCPD sketch artist and told them everything I could remember of that night, but without a name to go off of the case could go cold really quick.

Nygma

I had not slept at all while Oswald was in the hospital. I stayed there in the waiting room only disappearing when Gordon was there so I wouldn't get questioned further from him about my relationship with Oswald.

I felt terrible after listening to him and the doctors, learning that it was me that he was terrified of. Well, the Riddler but he was still me. The voice however thought it was the highlight of my life, but of course he fed on fear.

I drank a cup of coffee as we sat with the sketch artist. I was exhausted and looked the part. The drug this man used on Oswald fascinated me though, it purposely induced fear on people. I would definitely have to look into this more.

Gordon and I left the office when the artist was finishing up with Oswald and Jim looked to me. "You need to go home Ed." He stated turning to me.

I shook my head, "I am fine."

I was extremely grateful he was able to save Oswald. Words couldn't describe it, I had been so scared. I extended my hand to Jim.

"Thank you so much Detective." I nodded.

"No problem," he nodded taking my hand and shaking it. "Anytime," he smiled to me patting my shoulder firmly before walking off.

I wondered if my speech from that night affected him in some way. I admit I made it out of anger but it still stood true.

Oswald

Today was the day! I finally was getting released from the hospital.

Gabe had done a great job covering for me at the club and with my Maroni brethren. When they were told that Fish had hired someone to abduct and torture me, they were all fired up and out for Fish's blood. Gabe kept them civil and under control. But a few of her men may have gone missing in the night...

Nygma, on the other hand, looked like he had experienced the same torture I had been through. I knew he took it very personally that my greatest fear came about through his alter ego.

When I was in control of my body and actions, I didn't bring up what I saw, for fear Nygma would run away from pure guilt. I didn't want to lose him again. I saw how much it shattered me once, and I didn't want it to happen again.

Occasionally, I still heard Riddler's voice cackling in my head. Again, I kept this from Nygma and even the doctors, because I couldn't afford to be put in Arkham.

Nygma left before I was discharged which bothered me a bit. But duty calls, I guess...

Before he left, he whispered to me,"Come stop by my new place after you are released. I'm planning something special to welcome you home." He gave me a peck on my left cheek and left a slip of paper with his address in my hand.

Nygma

I left the hospital early and headed right over to my apartment to set up a nice dinner for Oswald. I wanted to show him I was grateful for him getting out of the hospital and that he was okay. I had been worried beyond sick about his well being and the fact Riddler was the cause it made me feel like I was the worst person in the world.

I was exhausted though, sometimes I wondered if I was going to pass out. I had not slept much since hearing Oswald went missing. I looked like death himself.

I had soft Mozart playing in the apartment as I set the table. I was currently in the middle of preparing the meal, one of Oswald's favorites. I wasn't the best cook in the world but hell I was going to try.

Do you even trust yourself with cooking, let alone lighting a candle

I groaned, I was getting tired of him in my head. It seemed to get worse when I was tired.

He's getting out of the hospital he's not going to give a shit about the lengths you went through with this

I tried ignoring him and shook my head as I lit the candles. It was getting later he should be arriving soon.

Romance is not your strong suit

I rolled my eyes, I think I did rather well despite the nagging in my head. I put dinner in the oven to keep it warm and poured wine into both glasses.

I left the door unlocked so Oswald could come right in when he arrived. I was excited to show him my new apartment, to make him dinner, and hopefully it wouldn't be terrible.

I needed to sit down, I was so tired. I pulled out the chair that I would be sitting in for dinner and sighed setting my glasses down beside the plate.

Then everything just went black as my head fell onto the plate. Exhaustion had overcome me and I was out like a light.

Oswald

Wow, he's got a top floor apartment! I thought as I pushed the highest numbered button in the elevator. Up I rode until a "Ding" signaled that I had arrived on the top floor.

I got out and walked down the hallway. For once Gotham's weather was decent. A peaceful evening with just a few clouds in the sky.

I arrived at the numbered door that corresponded with the number scribbled on the piece of paper in my hand.

Outside the door, mozart could be faintly heard. Riddler began laughing in my head and I had brief flashes of Kristen Kringle's body lying in front of Nygma as he sat sipping wine.

I started breathing heavily placing my hands over my ears, trying to drown out the laughter. After a few moments, I shook off the panic attack, and got the courage to open the door.

I walked into the apartment and surveyed the place. I was still immaculately clean as Nygma's places always were. I walked towards the kitchen and saw that the oven was still on keeping our dinner warm. The aroma coming from the oven was making my mouth water. I realized that I hadn't eaten much during my stay in the hospital.

I wanted to dig in right away, but my host had yet to greet me, which worried me a bit. I went in search of Nygma. I didn't have to look to far. He had placed his glasses neatly on the table and he was passed on an empty plate. He looked so at peace that I didn't want to wake him.

I noticed that the lit candles were beginning to drip wax all over the table, so I extinguished them with my fingers.

I then walked over to Nygma and brushed his hair out of his face and kissed him lightly on his forehead. "Sleep well, my love." I whispered

I went to sit on the sofa in the nearby living room a warm smile lit up my face as I watched Nygma sleep, sipping at my wine.

Nygma

I started to stir after about an hour of sitting there, my head in my plate. My body needed that small amount of rest to recharge. I grunted softly as I opened my eyes, everything was blurry until I felt around for my glasses putting them on.

I yawned and looked around for a moment.

See? No one's here. Told you.

"Fuck," I grunted sitting up straighter. I sighed getting to my feet and going to the oven and pulling out the food.

By this point it would be dried out, I sighed as I placed the pan in the sink. I rubbed my face with both hands before turning around.

That's when I heard Oswald on the couch and about jumped out of my skin. He scared me. I grabbed at my chest taking a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry Oswald, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

I was still extremely exhausted but at least I could walk straight.

"I'm sorry, Nygma. I didn't mean to startle you. I just saw you sleeping there so peaceful, I just didn't have the heart to wake you." Oswald replied."You actually looked quite cute."

He smiled wide.

I felt warm in the cheeks at his response. "Well if you had, dinner wouldn't have been ruined unfortunately," I smiled weakly.

"I will just call for take out, probably still tastes better than what I had cooked to be honest."

I went and picked up the phone looking to him again. "How are you feeling?"

Oswald

"I'm feeling a whole lot better now that I am out of that damn hospital and have my freedom back." I chose to omit the minor panic attack that I had outside his door.

I got up off of the couch and sat at the table across from Nygma.

"You're going to tell me that you've been tempting me with this delicious smelling food for nearly and hour and we're not even going to eat it?" I asked, "C'mon Neg, I'm not about to let good food go to waste." I smile warmly at him.

"You could have ate it a while ago," Nygma chuckled before nodding and getting up putting the phone down. "Fine, but you were warned." Nygma smiled pulling the pan out of the sink and then brought it to the table.

He served me before himself and then relit the candles and then took his seat.

"I would've thought it rude to eat before my host. So I made do with the wine." I laughed. "Though we may need another bottle if you want more than is in your glass." My cheeks were starting to show a slight blush from the wine that I had downed.

I ate Nygma's food. Even though the taste was not up to the standards of what was served at my club, I enjoyed Nygma's dish even more, because it was made by him. I could taste all of the thought and love that he had put into this dish.

"Thank you, Nygma. This is really quite good. Just what I needed after being discharged from the hospital."

I grabbed his hand from across the table and held it in mine.

Nygma smiled softly and gently ran his thumb across my knuckles as I held Nygma's hands.

"You're very welcome," he nodded. "It was the least I could do after what you've been through. Had Detective Gordon not been able to locate you I don't know what would have happened to you." Nygma breathed.

"I know that I really worried you, and that I was really stupid for going off on my own." I paused,"As much as I hate to say it, I am also grateful to Gordon and his team for saving me." My lip twitched revealing my annoyance and jealousy I still held for Gordon.

"I am as well," Nygma nodded. "I didn't think he was going to even help me at first but he came through."

He smiled gently at that just grateful for the man's help.

"Also, the next time you go off alone like that, I'm going to let you stay gone." Nygma threatened mostly teasingly, of course.

"Okay, I will then." I quipped back, and then erupted into laughter.

Nygma

I chuckled softly at that just rolling my eyes. "I'm serious," I smiled.

After we had both finished eating I collected the plates and put them into the sink taking a few minutes to wash them. Dirty dishes drove me absolutely nuts.

"What do you think of my apartment?" I asked him before walking over to the large windows of the living room overlooking the city.

"It is really quite lovely. Though it is missing your experimentation room. Without it, this apartment seems quite normal. I mean no offense by it, but it lost some of it's Nygma flair." He came up behind me, Oswald's left arm wrapping around my skinny frame. Oswald pulled me to his side as he joined me and stared out at the city that will one day be ours.

"Unfortunately I had to give up the extra room for this lovely view." I chuckled gently. "I moved the equipment to your clinic though."

I just looked out to the moon which sat over the city. "We will need to figure out something for Gordon though, to show appreciation for his actions. It really was all him, I just sat around yelling at him."

I turned to look him in the eyes.

"You, yelling at Gordon? No you must be shitting me! Though you surprised me once before by ending up in Arkham for slamming his head into his desk." Oswald laughed.. "That must've been a fun lecture for Gordon."

Oswald continued to stare into my eyes. "Have I told you how perfect you are?"

"No, you are perfect to me."

I looked to him sadly at that, I was constantly reminded of why he was probably suffering from the trauma he experienced in that abandoned house under that fear drug.

"I'm just glad you're okay." I breathed. "If you need to talk about it, please, I'm here."

Oswald

"Same here, if you ever need to talk, I will always be here for you, Neg." I didn't want to ruin the mood with talk of panic attacks and still hearing Riddler in my head. Right now, Nygma was in front of me, the Nygma that I loved.

As I felt Nygma, gently kissing my hand, I turned his face toward mine and my lips brushed against his.