With a panicked gasp, Rose jolted awake. Disoriented, her eyes darted around the dim room until she spotted the Riddler sitting nearby, watching her with a furrowed brow. Then the memories rushed back - the abduction, their conversation, dozing off here on his couch.
"Just a bad dream, my dear," the Riddler soothed. "You're alright now."
But Rose's heart was still pounding in her chest. She trembled, drawing the blanket tight around her shoulders as if to shield herself from lingering phantoms.
Noticing her distress, the Riddler moved to sit beside her. Slowly, giving her time to pull away, he wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders.
To her own surprise, Rose found his touch reassuring. She leaned into him, resting her head against his chest as her breathing steadied.
"Shh, it's alright," he murmured. "I have you. No one can hurt you here." He stroked her hair soothingly until her shivering stopped.
Rose closed her eyes, focusing on the soothing sensation of the Riddler's hand gently stroking her hair. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat under her ear helped calm the lingering anxiety from her nightmare.
Gradually, she felt her body relax into his embrace. The initial wariness she'd felt toward him seemed to melt away, replaced by an unexpected feeling of safety in his arms.
After some time passed, the Riddler shifted slightly to glance down at Rose's face. "Better now, my dear?" he asked, a gentleness to his tone she hadn't heard before.
Rose lifted her head from his chest and nodded. "Yes, thank you," she replied softly. "I'm sorry for waking you up over a silly nightmare."
"Nonsense," he tutted, brow furrowing. "You've no need to apologize. I want you to feel safe and cared for here."
Rose found herself moved by the sincerity in his eyes. On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
The Riddler looked startled, raising his hand to his face. Then a smile spread across his lips.
"You are full of surprises, aren't you, my dear Rose?" he murmured appreciatively.
Rose felt her cheeks grow warm but held his gaze. Being here with him like this felt right somehow.
"You should rest now," the Riddler said, shifting to gently guide Rose to lay down on the couch. He stretched out beside her, allowing Rose to nuzzle into his chest as he wrapped both arms around her.
"Sleep now, I'll keep the nightmares away," he promised, holding her close. Rose nestled into his embrace, comforted by his warmth and steady heartbeat.
Lying entwined together on the narrow couch, Rose had never felt safer. As she drifted off, she was grateful to this intriguing man who had been there to soothe her fears. In his arms, the nightmares stayed away.
The next morning, Rose sat up on the lumpy couch, realizing the space beside her was empty. Had the Riddler left without waking her? Stretching, Rose glanced around the shadowy interior of his hideout.
She could hear clanging and muttered curses coming from behind a partition. Curious, she padded over to investigate. Pushing aside the curtain, she saw the Riddler in a small kitchenette, struggling to work an ancient coffee maker.
"Ah, good morning my dear!" he greeted with a grin when he noticed her presence. "I hope you slept well. I'm attempting to brew us some coffee but this infernal contraption..." He whacked the machine, which sputtered reluctantly to life.
Rose couldn't help an amused smile, both at the domestic situation and his morning disgruntlement. "Here, let me help," she offered, moving to assist him with their breakfast.
As Rose worked beside the Riddler to prepare a simple meal, she found herself appreciating the ordinary nature of the moment. The clinking of spoons in mugs and sizzling of bread in the toaster sounded almost homey in the unlikely setting. She could smell the aroma of coffee and butter, and feel the warmth of the stove.
She caught the Riddler's eye and they exchanged a smile at the surreal normalcy of sharing breakfast together. Just yesterday she had feared this man, and now they moved in sync to cook eggs and plate toast.
"I hope you like your eggs scrambled," the Riddler said, gesturing to the two plates he had prepared.
"Scrambled is perfect, thanks," Rose replied, touched by the gesture.
Rose carried the two steaming mugs of coffee over to the small table while the Riddler brought the plates of eggs and toast. Despite the worn cutlery and mismatched dishes, she appreciated this shared moment.
Sitting across from each other in the creaky chairs, their eyes met briefly again, a hint of bashfulness in their smiles.
"Not exactly gourmet cuisine," the Riddler quipped as he took a bite of the toast, "but it makes for a fine breakfast."
"It's lovely, thank you," Rose said sincerely after swallowing a creamy, buttery forkful of the scrambled eggs.
They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, the only sounds were the clink of utensils on plates between sips of coffee.
The Riddler finished his meal and leaned back contentedly in his chair. "Well, I hope this will sustain us until lunch. Any requests?" He gave her a playful smile.
Rose laughed lightly with a shake of her head. "I can't wait to see what you whip up for us next."
After finishing their meal, Rose and the Riddler lingered at the table, continuing their easy conversation as they each nursed a second cup of coffee. Their chatter flowed comfortably as they spoke more of their interests, childhoods, and hopes. The unlikely pair were discovering they shared many similarities beneath the surface.
When their mugs finally sat empty, Rose stood and began gathering the dishes. "Here, let me do these," she offered.
"Nonsense, you cooked too, I'll help," the Riddler insisted, waving off her protests and carrying items to the sink.
They washed and dried the dishes side by side, falling into an easy rhythm. Their hands occasionally brushed, sending a spark through Rose. When the last plate was put away, she felt reluctant for this moment to end.
As they finished tidying up, the Riddler turned to Rose. "Well, now that breakfast is out of the way, what are your plans for the day, my dear?"
Rose considered for a moment. "Actually, I have the day off from work today. I don't have any set plans."
"Excellent!" The Riddler rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Then you must stay as my guest. We can continue our conversation, maybe have some lunch later..."
He looked at Rose hopefully. She hesitated, knowing she should head out, yet not feeling ready to say goodbye.
"That sounds really nice," Rose said finally. "I'd love to stick around longer, this has been fun."
"Wonderful!" The Riddler grinned, clearly delighted she had agreed to prolong their time together.
He offered Rose his arm in an exaggerated gentlemanly fashion, making her chuckle. Looping her arm through his, she let him lead her back into the hideout's main room.
Letting go of Rose's arm, the Riddler stooped to pick up a Clue game box that had been left on the low table. He held it up with a grin. "Care to partake in a mystery, my dear? I do love a challenge."
"You're on," Rose replied with a smile, settling onto the worn couch. She picked up the case file envelope as the Riddler began enthusiastically setting up the colorful board between them on the table.
Soon they were fully engrossed in the game, debating potential murder weapons and suspects.
"I'm telling you, it has to be the candlestick!" Rose insisted, holding up the game piece in question. "Motive, means, and opportunity all point to it."
The Riddler waved a dismissive hand. "Too obvious, my dear. No, this was a love quarrel, not logic. The soup burned him for sure."
He mimed lobbing the toy soup pot at an imaginary foe, nearly toppling game pieces over in his dramatic flair.
"You always make such a big show of it!" she said through giggles. "I can't keep up with your wild guesses."
"Where's the fun if we can't get creative?" he shot back with a wink. His comebacks never failed to amuse her.
As she reached for the dice, her fingers brushed the Riddler's resting hand. Electricity shot through her at the fleeting contact, heart skipping. He looked up, green eyes sparkling with humor.
But then his dramatics resumed, swooping up toy characters to reenact his latest outlandish scenario. Rose grinned, glad he'd broken the strange tension without drawing it out.
After debating for over an hour, the Riddler finally conceded that Rose had correctly guessed the suspect, weapon, and location in Clue.
"Well played, my dear," he said, gathering up the game pieces. "You have quite the knack for unraveling mysteries."
"Beginner's luck," Rose replied modestly, though his praise made her glow inside.
The Riddler scanned his scattered collection of games. "Ah, how about a round of chess next?" He held up an ornate wooden chess set.
"You're on," said Rose. As the Riddler arranged the pieces, she asked, "So who usually wins when you play games?"
"Me, naturally," he remarked with a cocky grin. "Though I have a feeling you may prove a more formidable opponent than my regular associates."
Rose raised an eyebrow. "Careful, I was captain of my high school chess club."
"Is that so?" The Riddler leaned forward eagerly. "Then by all means, dazzle me with your skills."
As they began playing, Rose realized matching wits with the Riddler like this gave her a thrill she'd never felt before. Win or lose, just spending time together engaged in playful competition was becoming the highlight of her days.
They became so absorbed in their chess battle that the hours flew by unnoticed. The rest of the world seemed to melt away when they were absorbed in each other's company.
After a heated chess match that lasted over two hours, Rose finally checkmated the Riddler's king.
"I'm impressed, my dear, not many can out-maneuver me in chess," he said, studying the board.
Rose smiled, pleased that her chess skills had impressed him. "I did warn you that I was captain of my high school chess club."
Just then, her stomach rumbled loudly. They both laughed.
"Playing detective and chess master works up an appetite. Let me whip us up some lunch," the Riddler said, standing up.
Rose followed him to the small kitchen area. "You don't have to go to any trouble."
"Nonsense! What sort of host would I be if I didn't properly feed my guest?" He gestured for Rose to sit at the table.
The Riddler hummed to himself as he prepared chicken salad sandwiches and tea. Rose smiled as she watched him happily potter around the kitchen. She was touched by how attentive he was to her comforts.
Soon they were chatting over lunch, the chess game already a distant memory. Rose cherished these quiet moments with the Riddler away from his criminal persona. With him, she could simply be herself.
After finishing lunch, Rose helped the Riddler tidy up the kitchen.
"Shall we engage in another battle of wits and creativity?" he asked with a dramatic flourish towards his game collection.
"Pictionary could be fun," Rose suggested, her competitive side emerging again.
The Riddler's eyes lit up. "Excellent choice!" He set up the easel board and supplies with gusto. "I look forward to interpreting your artistic skills, my dear."
As they took turns drawing and guessing, laughter echoed throughout the hideout. The Riddler waved his arms wildly trying to get Rose to guess "helicopter" from his frantic scribbles.
When it was Rose's turn to draw, the Riddler leaned forward eagerly, calling out his rapid-fire guesses. "Aha, it's a rhinoceros!" he proclaimed as Rose finished a messy creature.
"It was supposed to be a cat..." Rose giggled, but couldn't stay serious watching him gesticulate dramatically.
After many amusing rounds, the Riddler was declared the victor. "A well played game, my dear," he said, giving her a gracious bow.
Rose smiled, feeling closer to him than ever.
He took her hand then and led her to the worn couch.
"I want to share something special with you," he said, picking up a leather bound sketchbook. "A glimpse into my extraordinary mind."
He eagerly flipped through pages of complex designs, explaining each one. Rose leaned in, utterly fascinated by his genius.
"These are incredible," Rose said in awe. "Your mind is always spinning with such brilliant ideas."
The Riddler practically glowed under her praise. "Most only see me as a criminal, but you truly appreciate my potential."
As the afternoon stretched on, they poured over the Riddler's sketches, lost in easy conversation. With each glimpse into his brilliant mind, Rose felt herself falling deeper under his spell.
Eventually the warm glow of the setting sun filtering through the windows caught their attention. The afternoon had faded into evening as they sat absorbed in each other's company.
Rose's stomach suddenly rumbled, reminding her it had been hours since their last meal.
The Riddler chuckled. "It appears we both require dinner after our long day of games and conversing." He closed the sketchbook and stood, offering Rose his hand.
She took it with a smile. "Let's see what we can whip up."
They decided on making pasta, working in tandem. The Riddler handed Rose tomatoes and herbs to chop for sauce, while he boiled water for noodles.
Rose snuck glances at his profile while he worked, admiring his intense focus. She bumped his shoulder playfully, eliciting a grin from the Riddler.
Before long, aromatic steam wafted from two heaping plates of spaghetti. They carried their meals to the couch to eat together.
"To us," the Riddler toasted, clinking his glass of wine with Rose's. She smiled happily at this small intimacy.
After dinner, they curled up on the couch together, full and content. The Riddler flipped through TV channels and paused on a trivia game show.
"Let's see how my intellect measures against these so-called contestants," he remarked with amusement. Rose nestled against his shoulder as they watched contestants fumble over questions the Riddler found obvious.
"Child's play," he scoffed as another panelist gave a wrong answer. Rose laughed and gave his arm an affectionate squeeze. She enjoyed seeing his brilliant mind at work.
They continued watching the show, with the Riddler interjecting witty quips and correcting the contestants.
Eventually, Rose glanced at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see how late it had gotten. "I should really be heading home soon," she said reluctantly.
Leaning back, he said casually, "You'd be most welcome to stay here again tonight, my dear."
Rose blinked, taken aback by the unexpected offer.
A thunderstorm had begun outside, flashes of lightning briefly illuminating the pounding rain. The thought of braving that weather alone wasn't appealing.
The Riddler spoke again, softer. "I've really enjoyed our time together. Please say you'll stay just a while longer."
Glancing between him and the worsening storm, she smiled. "Well, I suppose one more night wouldn't hurt."
The Riddler grinned, clearly pleased.
The storm raged on outside as Rose and the Riddler continued watching the quiz show, the flickering light from the TV illuminating their faces in the dim room.
Rose stifled a yawn, the long eventful day beginning to catch up with her. She leaned into the Riddler's side, comforted by his warmth and steady presence beside her. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close.
Eventually her eyelids grew heavy, drooping shut for a few seconds before she startled herself awake again.
Noticing her fatigue, the Riddler clicked off the TV and stood, extending a hand. "Come, let me show you to a room where you can get some proper rest."
Rose took his hand and let him lead her down the shadowy corridor, past several closed doors until he stopped before one, turning the ornate knob to reveal a cozy bedroom.
The space was simply furnished but warm and inviting, with a cushy queen bed, dark wood nightstands, and a quilt in rich jewel tones. Heavy velvet curtains blocked out the stormy night.
"I hope this suits your needs for the evening," the Riddler said, glancing at Rose.
She gave him a tired but grateful smile. "It's perfect, thank you."
He returned the smile, lingering in the doorway as if not wanting to part from her company just yet. An unspoken question lingered in his eyes.
Rose bit her lip. "Would you...like to come in? Maybe we could talk a while more before sleeping." To her surprise, she found herself hoping he'd accept.
The Riddler hesitated only briefly before stepping inside. Perching beside her on the bed's edge, they resumed chatting in hushed tones as lightning flashed beyond windows.
Gradually Rose's replies grew slower, her eyes drooping shut from exhaustion. She stifled another yawn.
Noticing her struggle, the Riddler gave a sympathetic smile. "I'll let you get some rest now. We'll talk more in the morning."
As he moved to stand, Rose grasped his hand without thinking. "Will you stay? Just until I fall asleep?" She held her breath, awaiting his response.
The Riddler seemed taken aback before nodding slowly. "If that's what you need to feel comfortable here, then of course I'll stay, my dear."
Rose's shoulders relaxed. She slid under the covers while the Riddler sat beside her.
As another rumble of thunder rolled outside, Rose quietly slipped her hand into his resting palm. Their fingers twined together, finding mutual solace in the simple intimacy.
"Lie down with me," she whispered, scooting to make room. The Riddler hesitated only a moment before complying, easing down beside her on top of the blanket.
Now face-to-face, Rose studied his sharp features in the low light. Acting on impulse, she tenderly traced her fingers along his jawline, eliciting a faint intake of breath from him.
"Thank you for staying with me, Edward," she whispered.
At the sound of his real name on her lips, the Riddler's - no, Edward's - eyes widened slightly. But then a hint of a smile ghosted across his mouth.
"Think nothing of it, my dear," he replied gently. "Now get some rest."
His long fingers began slowly sifting through her hair in a soothing motion. Rose nestled closer, comforted by his warmth and steady heartbeat.
She let her heavy eyelids fall shut, losing the battle to sleep. But not before murmuring a soft "Goodnight, Edward."
Just as she drifted off, Rose thought she felt the light pressure of lips against her forehead. But maybe that was only a dream, as slumber embraced her fully in the darkness.