Work Text:
Life was good. It may have sounded preposterous considering the current state of affairs – survivors fighting for food on a desolated island that was once Gotham – but Oswald was nothing if not opportunistic. It was no surprise then that he was thriving while others were scraping for survival. Almost immediately after the bridges were blown, he seized the armory and all the weapons he could put his hands on and then made himself at home at city hall. It was his either way – by right and former status as a mayor. And when the dust had settled, he established contact with the outside world seeking food supplies that was already spare in Gotham.
Yes, he was content with how things were proceeding. More and more people wanted stability only he could provide them, and he ruled in his own kingdom with a strict, but not unreasonable hand. And people loved him. If he could only convince Jim that he needed his help, then he would truly want for nothing. But Jim was as obstinate as ever and although they’d met a couple of times to talk, they had accomplished nothing besides heated discussions or quarrels more precisely. Oswald didn’t let go of the hope though. Because he knew now, without the shadow of the doubt, that Jim was the one.
After that whole debacle with Ed, Oswald revaluated his feelings once more and he had to admit that Ed was somewhat right. He didn’t love him, well, he did but in platonic sense. He loved him as a friend – the best friend he ever had. He was ready to die for Ed that day. But that bond was lost, maybe forever. They reconnected, true, but it wasn’t the same. There was too much history between them and that delicate, innocent trust from the beginning of their relationship was shattered to pieces that Oswald didn’t even try to piece back together any longer.
Jim though… Jim was different. Even when they had their ugliest fight he never (even for the slightest second) believed that Jim could be capable of killing him. They hurt each other, but somehow, they were always careful not to cut too deep, not to do any lasting damage. Jim would never dig up his father’s remains. Jim always treated his mother with respect. Jim was there when Oswald needed him the most and Oswald gladly returned the favor.
‘Boss? I found Gordon outside the hall. There are no visible injuries, but he’s barely conscious.’
‘Lead me there.’ said Oswald curtly, out of his chair before his man even finished the sentence.
Oswald thanked the gods that his leg was in better shape because of the operation. But it still felt like he couldn’t get to Jim quick enough. The whole way through the labyrinth of the corridors he was plagued with dark thoughts. What could be wrong? Why did James show up on his doorstep instead of seeking help from his friends? Was he…?
They exited the building from the back and Oswald stopped dead in his tracks. The smell of distressed omega overpowered his senses and made him lightheaded. It couldn’t be, could it? But no, his eyes were not betraying him. It was Jim emitting this scent that shouldn’t have been nowhere near him because he had always presented as a beta.
He was disheveled, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead and his eyes were glowing feverishly – a telltale of impending heat.
‘Oswald?’ Jim softly said, trying to use the wall to stand up, but to no avail.
‘Help me bring him inside.’ ordered Oswald, grateful for his luck and for Jim’s luck that the man who found him was a beta and thus could smell nothing and had no idea what was happening.
They made their way back to Oswald’s room encountering no one on their path. Another stroke of luck, because although Oswald made sure that his scent masked Jim’s as much as it could, it still wouldn’t hold if some alpha would move close enough.
‘No one is to enter the perimeter.’ he said to his man looking him dead in the eye, ‘If there is something that absolutely can’t wait Victor will come alone is that clear?’
Victor might be an alpha, but Oswald trusted him above all others. He was a friend, different kind that Ed once was, but Oswald preferred the lightness of their bond. It was while Sofia was still alive that he recognized for the first time the signs of imminent betrayal (he had learned something after Butch and Gabe) and he decided to take a risk in baring his very soul before Victor. That moment forged their friendship in the fire and coming out on the other side, they were closer than he ever thought he could be with his subordinate – almost intertwined, often understanding each other without words.
‘Crystal clear, boss.’
‘Good, because if you let someone in here you will yearn for death and Fabio will join you.’
The man paled in a blink of an eye.
‘Yes, I know that you are together. I have nothing against it as long as you remember to put your duties first.’ Oswald’s voice was smooth, seemingly calm, but there was a storm in his eyes that his men knew to avoid.
‘Yes, sir.’ said the man practically standing at attention. When Oswald dismissed him, he left the room as if he had hellhounds hot on his trail.
Oswald sagged a little, feeling already drained of energy, but then he steeled himself: Jim needed his help. He turned around only to find Jim’s focused, alert gaze upon him. He was wary, ready to bolt, although they both knew that he wouldn’t get far.
‘What happened, James?’ Oswald asked as he sat himself in the armchair few feet away from the bed.
Jim relaxed a little, but his eyes were still trained on him.
‘There is no suppressant left on this god forsaken island.’ he snapped, voice bitter and laced with weariness he couldn’t hide.
‘I must say, you are an excellent actor. Hiding your true nature all those years. Didn’t you tell anyone?’ asked Oswald, but he already knew the answer. If Jim had someone close who could have helped him, he wouldn’t risk coming here.
‘No one knows.’ admitted Jim.
He sounded so vulnerable that Oswald was out of his chair and half-way towards the bed before Jim’s frantic voice made him freeze in the spot.
‘Don’t come closer!’ Jim scrambled to sit upright.
‘I won’t hurt you, James. You are safe here.’ Oswald softly said but didn’t move an inch. ‘Didn’t you come here because you trusted me?’
‘Yes.’ breathed Jim almost unnoticeable tremors going through his body,
‘But you’re still an alpha.’
‘I would never impose myself on you. No matter the circumstances.’ said Oswald, his voice leaving no room for discussion.
In his opinion only weak people let their biology dictate their actions. Following instincts, heart, or reason, even a hunch, that was human way and not this animal need to satiate their own needs.
‘You can’t be sure,’ said Jim, distrust bleeding back into his voice, ‘Leave or let me go.’ He demanded putting his chin out defiantly.
Oswald had no intention of following either of Jim’s options. First heat after prolonged use of suppressants was always hard and he would be damned if he’d let Jim out of his sight.
‘And where will you go James?’ scoffed Oswald. ‘You don’t have much time left and I have plenty of alphas on my payroll wandering around as we speak.’
‘I will take care of myself, like I always have, thank you very much’ sneered Jim, glaring at Oswald as he made a move to stand form the bed.
Oswald was quicker though and pinned Jim with his body, trying to ignore spike of fear in those baby-blue eyes.
‘It’s dangerous to go out now. You will stay here until the heat is over. Then you are free to go.’ said Oswald gritting his teeth.
‘Bullshit! Unhand me or...’
‘Or what? You’ll arrest me again, Detective Gordon?’
Jim’s glare became more heated before he averted his eyes, ‘I’m sorry.’ he said softly almost inaudibly.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Oswald furrowed his brows in disbelief because he must have misheard Jim. Surely, he didn’t just apologize, did he?
‘M sorry that I believed Sofia even for a moment’ said Jim meeting his eyes and there was this haunted look in them that Oswald knew all too well. ‘I knew that you wouldn’t blow up a kid and yet I wanted to arrest you. If not for Zsasz I…’ Jim trailed off.
Oswald wasn’t quite sure how to react to something he never expected to hear so he released Jim and sat on the edge of the bed frowning.
‘I cannot say that I wasn’t hurt, James.’ he said finally, ‘But you helped me to get rid of her in the end.’
Oswald sighed tiredly. Reminiscing past hurts became just tedious at this point. There was no profit from dwelling on the bygone disappointments. Not when every new day brought new possibilities. As this one for example. He could bite Jim, bind him to himself and slowly but surely sip into his life like a poison to which even this strong-headed detective would have to succumb.
Oswald swept his gaze over Jim’s disheveled form, stopping on a sliver of skin visible through two undone buttons. He could make it to look like an accident, he mused absentmindedly as his heart started pumping blood faster and faster. Just one bite separated him from binding Jim to his side, forever.
‘Os-wald?’
Oswald looked up slowly, admiring Jim’s pretty bare neck and lush lips, but then his gaze met those wide blue eyes full of alarm. Cold dread quenched his desire, cooling his overheated body.
‘Don’t’ whispered Jim. ‘Ple- ‘
‘Shush’ Oswald interrupted him, feeling a wave of shame sweeping over him. Didn’t he promise Jim that he would be safe here? ‘A fleeting lapse of judgement, I assure you, old friend. Rest.’ he said then stood up hastily and made his way towards the window.
And he stayed there over the next couple of hours, grasping the windowsill to ground himself because Jim’s whimpers and moans pierced his skin and sank deep into his bones, driving him halfway to madness. Treacherous thoughts swirled in his mind trying to convince him that Jim needed his assistance. That he needed an alpha.
Oswald growled low in his throat, vexed by how persistent this need to claim Jim was. He knew it was due to their mutual history and Jim’s, well for lack of a better word – disrespectful behavior towards him. But he would be damned if he let himself believe in that toxic propaganda of today’s society, claiming that omegas should be subservient. Jim being omega changed nothing about how Oswald viewed him. It only added to his strength of character. Oswald saw first-hand the results of Jim’s will often enough to marvel at his grit, even if sometimes it was used against him.
Jim deserved his respect and Oswald had full intention of respecting his wishes to a tee. No accidents, no giving up to the temptation, no buts and maybes. He would keep Jim safe even from himself. He…
~-~
Victor found it odd that Oswald (he took on using his name now and then but still preferred to call him boss or chief) ordered to clear out the whole perimeter around his improvised bedroom. He found it even more curious that Fabio’s boyfriend (Bruno was it?) said Oswald had barricaded himself in there with Jimbo who was ill apparently.
And Victor was nosy (proud about that, too) so he was just waiting for a good excuse to investigate. It had fallen into his lap several hours after Oswald’s explicit instructions about comings and goings near his bedroom. There was something needing boss’ attention and thus Victor had no choice but to come alone. What a shame.
Whistling merrily Victor was making his way through abandoned corridors until a very specific smell hit his nose and made him stop dead in his tracks. Now, wasn’t that interesting? The last hall leading towards the bedroom Victor crossed with caution because if the situation looked like he thought it did then boss would not be in a forgiving mood. Better not to test his temper.
Victor paused by the door, waiting. Oswald could most certainly smell him already and would come out...
‘What is it, Victor?’ snarled boss right in his face, opening the door with a violent swing.
Victor nostrils flared when the sweet and leathery scent of Jim Gordon swirled out of the room enticing him. So, he didn’t have a one milkshake too much. The uptight detective turned self-righteous captain really was an omega.
‘Lost Boys just attacked our north-west warehouse and took one month supply of bullets.’ he said keeping his eyes trained on boss so they wouldn’t wander over his shoulder where a sliver of the bedroom could be seen.
‘I have had enough of this ridiculous gang of wannabes. Mow them to the ground!’ he snarled his eyes blazing with ire that always preluded great fun for Victor.
‘On it, chief’ Victor said with a shark-like grin.
Christmas came early this year.
‘And Victor?’ Victor’s eyes snapped back to Oswald’s feeling the change in the air. ‘I trust you know to keep your mouths shut.’ His words were soft, but the look he gave him made Victor want to take a step back.
He wasn’t an easily frightened man. To be more precise he had no fear at all, but boss could come closest to inducing something of a kind in Victor. He was just so... intense. Like the eternal fire itself – never to be snuffed, growing from a flame to a roaring conflagration in a blink of an eye, feeding on itself and always persisting. Beautiful and dangerous.
Shame that Oswald had eyes only on one man because Victor wouldn’t mind being burned.
‘You know me, boss. I’ll be silent as a grave.’ he said making a gesture of closing his mouth with a key and tossing it away.
‘I know.’ said Oswald and the fondness flickering in his pale eyes made Victor grin a little brighter. ‘Go have fun, Victor.’ he added before stepping back into the room and closing the door behind him.
James Gordon had no idea what a lucky man he was.
*~*
When Jim woke up the next day he felt as if he died and had to dig himself from the grave. Again. The smallest movement caused a white, hot pain to stab his muscles, which were quivering from fatigue. He couldn’t help but gasp in agony. His parched throat constricting unpleasantly.
Jim opened his eyes with a great effort and saw unfamiliar room, making him sit up in panic before memories came rushing back. One look around confirmed that Oswald was nowhere to be found, but it did nothing to ease his fear. He dragged himself off the bed and across the room to the full-body mirror. His anxiety skyrocketed when he realized he was only in his socks, undershirt, and boxers.
Jim looked frantically in the mirror searching for bruises, scratches and... bites. But he didn’t find any.
‘I see you finally woke up.’
Jim whipped around, his eyes instantly falling on Oswald’s stiff form at the door. His face was carefully void of emotion, but Jim saw the fleeting purse of his lips when he made his way inside. Meaning his leg was giving him more trouble than usual. No surprise if he spent most of the night standing by the window. Jim couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that Oswald was still walking after the strain he put on his damaged leg.
‘You must be thirsty’ Oswald said, pointing his head towards glass of water at the bedside table.
‘You didn’t bite me.’ Jim said, still not quite believing that nothing had happened.
‘Of course not.’ scoffed Oswald, taking the glass with him and approaching Jim in steady, confident strides. ‘You didn’t wish to be bitten.’
He said it matter of fact. As if it was that easy to resist putting an omega in his place, especially one who had defied him countless times. Jim took the glass from his hand and gulped the water down, trying to make a sense of it.
‘You still don’t understand, James?’ murmured Oswald looking at him with such intensity that Jim felt his skin burning under his gaze. ‘I love you.’
The glass slipped from Jim’s suddenly limp fingers and crashed on the marble floor.
‘I thought you and Nygma…’ he started but hearing Oswald snort of disgust made him pause.
‘There was nothing but friendship between me and Ed. Although I did make the mistake of believing otherwise for which I was shot and dumped into ocean’ he sneered.
‘Then that’s why you froze him.’ mused Jim searching Oswald’s eyes for... something. He didn’t know though what it was yet.
‘I froze him because he spat on my father’s memory and because he made me question whether I could even love.’
‘You’re joking. He told you that you don’t know how to love?’ Jim’s voice was full of incredulous amusement. ‘He that killed his own love’s boyfriend to have her for himself. And then killed her and buried her dismembered parts in the woods?’
‘He never told me that he killed Miss Kringle’s boyfriend,’ said Oswald. ‘Fucking hypocrite.’
Oswald stayed calm though. Like he couldn’t be bothered with those old disagreements anymore and looking into his stormy eyes Jim finally found what he was looking for.
That’s why he grabbed him forcefully and smashed their lips together. Oswald responded almost at once kissing him within inch of his life.
‘James?’ he breathed when they separated to gasp for air.
‘Shut up and keep kissing me’ Jim said breathlessly, putting his arms around Oswald’s neck.
Oswald said nothing to that, but his fingers tangled in Jim’s locks pulling his head into another kiss.
Jim felt a shiver coming down his spine when their lips met and sharp spark of arousal when his hair was tugged again. But that was nothing compared to overwhelming want he felt as Oswald’s lips moved down trailing his jaw then ear and finally peppering his neck with hot kisses.
‘More.’ gasped Jim tilting his head back.
He was floating, soaring even and there was no fear that he would come crashing down, because now he knew that Oswald would be there to catch him.
His knees buckled under him and strong arms caught his slumping body, sneaking around his waist and ghosting over his ass.
‘Let’s move it to bed.’ murmured Oswald against his throat and Jim could only grunt in response.
He was then guided by Oswald towards the bed, mindful of shattered glass littering the floor.
‘Sorry for the mess.’ said Jim just for the sake of it because he couldn’t care less in this moment.
‘No matter.’ said Oswald and pushed Jim back into the crumpled beddings. The he leached himself to Jim’s neck, while his nails brushed his nipples. Jim moaned loudly as his boxers became more and more wet and constricting. But Oswald’s hands stayed above the waist driving him crazy.
‘Oswald, please…’ panted Jim drawing him into a heated kiss, ‘I want this. I want you.’
‘You’re sure?’ asked Oswald his hooded eyes sharpening at Jim’s words.
‘Yes.’ breathed Jim because he was more sure than ever before.
Oswald removed Jim’s undershirt in no time glancing over his naked chest with appreciation.
‘Gods, you’re so exquisite, love.’ he said trailing his hands down until they stopped at the rim of Jim’s boxers.
Oswald paused looking at Jim inquisitively and when he nodded his head with urgency, feeling both warm on the inside as well as exasperated with Oswald’s careful pace, he ripped the boxers down, making Jim moan when cold air hit his overheated skin.
‘Move for fuck’s sake.’ groaned Jim wrapping his leg around Oswald’s waist and drawing him closer to get some friction.
‘Impatient as always.’ chuckled Oswald and the open fondness in his eyes made all kinds of things happen to Jim, one more pleasant than the other.
But before he could offer some remark, he felt Oswald’s fingers circling at his entrance and he threw his head back feeling electricity going through his body. Then, Oswald found that particular bundle of nerves inside him and Jim almost spaced out.
‘M ready.’ he panted between moans and this time Oswald took his words at face value and without further question took himself out of his boxers and sank into Jim at a slow, torturous pace.
‘You’re good?’ asked Oswald voice strangled and instead of answering the ridiculous question Jim drew him into another heated kiss.
That gave Oswald all the confirmation he needed, and he finally started to move, at first with considerate strokes that grew more rushed and frantic with time until…
‘Bite me.’ said Jim suddenly making Oswald pause, ‘Bite me!’ he repeated when Oswald just gaped at him absolutely bewildered.
Jim knew that this was the last thing Oswald expected to hear from him but that just strengthened his resolve. He never felt as safe, as cared for than now. And admitting to himself that maybe he needed someone was met with immense relief by his inner self that he was fighting all those years. He felt at peace at last.
‘Trust me, Oswald. It’s not the heat talking.’
‘Gods, I love you.’ groaned Oswald, picking up the pace while eyeing Jim’s neck with an intensive look.
Jim felt his orgasm building up in him and just when he was at the peak, Oswald possessively growled ‘mine’ before biting Jim and sending him over the edge. Pure bliss washed over him and he blacked out for a moment. When he came to, he was lying on his side, encircled by Oswald’s arms, engulfed in the intoxicating scent of him. It was made up of an undoubtedly expensive cologne and that aroma that was so unique Oswald – gun powder, something metallic, leather and the rich flavor of wine.
Oswald’s hand was combing through his hair sending pleasant shivers down his spine and the mark on his neck pulsed in an almost reassuring way.
‘Do you regret it?’ asked Oswald softly not stopping in his ministration. Like the answer couldn’t move him either way and Jim supposed that in some extent it was true.
Regretting it or not he was now Oswald’s, and their emotional bond was strengthened both physically and biologically. They were intertwined so strongly now that no protests or guilt could tear them apart. But instead of finding it suffocating Jim felt free.
He turned into Oswald’s arms to look him in the eye and chuckled quietly.
‘Not one bit.’ he said with probably the sappiest smile ever, ‘I love you too.’
Who would have thought it was so easy to say? It wasn’t so easy with Barbara or Lee. But right now, in this moment, there was nothing he wanted to say more.
Oswald’s eyes widen in shock then glistened with unshed tears.
‘Never thought I hear that from you and yet now I cannot imagine how could I’ve lived without hearing you say those words every day.’ he murmured looking at Jim with something akin to awe.
‘I love you, Oswald.’ said Jim again smile never leaving his face and when Oswald kissed him on a temple his eyelids fluttered shut in bliss.
‘We should probably take a shower and eat something’ he said regretfully, breaking the comfortable silence. ‘Your people are without a doubt looking for you and I don’t trust them to not do something rush.’
‘Give them some credit, Oswald.’ said Jim rolling his eyes playfully. With long exaggerated sigh he unraveled himself from the embrace and sat up.
‘That would be a waste of air.’ said Oswald dismissively, but Jim could tell from his face he was just teasing.
Jim got off bed, shooting Oswald a look over his shoulder.
‘Yeah? Right now you’re only wasting time we could spend fucking in the shower.’ he said with fake nonchalance, watching with keen attention how his words affected Oswald.
‘Such a filthy mouth.’ he said with a purr in his voice and stood up quicker than it should have been possible with his injury.
‘You should do something about that.’ challenged him Jim, thrilled when Oswald started stalking after him.
‘I will.’ he promised darkly.
A few moments later Jim found himself on his knees sucking Oswald off with his hands entangled in his wet hair and he couldn’t remember a better morning since the bridges blew. Probably even longer.
Sadly, after they showered and ate, they couldn’t prolong their time alone any more as the news of the search for Jim reached Oswald’s territory.
‘May I come with you?’ said Oswald suddenly when Jim was ready to leave, ‘I know you don’t need me to be there and that you’re more than capable of protecting yourself, it’s just…’
‘Oswald,’ Jim cut off his ramblings with a warm smile, ‘I would appreciate if you’ll come, otherwise they won’t believe me.’
Oswald sigh of relief was almost subtle.
‘Let’s not keep Harvey in dark any longer or he might do something rash.’ said Jim echoing Oswald’s earlier gibe with humor.
‘I knew it.’ snorted Oswald before he called for his men to give them a ride.
*~*
When they arrived at the precinct, Oswald made sure there was no distaste showing on his face while he assessed the state it was in. There were refugees everywhere in crumpled clothes and cheap blankets, the air was stained with a scent of canned food and unwashed bodies and the racket those people made only added to the omnipresent chaos.
‘Jim!’ screeched Bullock at the sight of his partner and Oswald’s lips involuntarily curled into an expression of dislike.
‘Harvey, you can call off the search I’m alright.’ said Jim with small, content smile and Oswald preened inside, knowing he put it there.
‘I see that, partner, but what is Penguin doing here?’ he asked giving Oswald a suspicious look.
Oswald couldn’t resist smirking at him.
‘Let’s talk in my office, okay?’ said Jim nudging Oswald to quit being such a smug asshole, ‘tell Bruce and Alfred to come. And Lucius.” he added as an afterthought.
‘You got it.’ said Bullock and with last unfriendly look at Oswald he moved to find said men among the refugees.
‘Oswald, you said you would play nice.’ scolded him Jim, but his eyes betrayed that he wasn’t really annoyed.
‘I lied.’ said Oswald playfully, making his way towards Jim’s office with Jim trialing after him pouting.
Oswald could feel his eyes digging into his back and as soon as the door closed behind them (though the windows of the office left little privacy) Jim caught his hand and pulled him closer burying his nose in his hair.
‘Harvey’s gonna flip.’ he murmured smelling Oswald like he was trying to reassure himself.
‘He is your friend. A very irritating one, but loyal to a fault. He will get over it.’ Oswald said quietly hugging Jim tighter.
He wanted to say more but he noticed Jim’s friends getting closer to the office and he tugged him deeper into the room, letting his hand fall at his sides. Jim took one step back, still hovering in his personal space, but not more than he used to.
‘Jim. I’m glad you’re alright’ said Bruce Wayne stepping inside first, closely followed by his butler and Lucius Fox.
Bullock entered last and after he closed the door, he looked at Jim expectantly.
‘Let’s hear it, brother.’
Jim squirmed under their gaze and then squirmed some more. The words seemed stuck in his throat and Oswald decided to take mercy on him and retraced his scent that was masking Jim’s own from the moment they’ve stepped out of his bedroom.
The reactions were instantaneous. The polite mask the Wayne boy wore nowadays slipped off to innocent shock, his butler and Lucius Fox blinked in confusion, not knowing what was happening and Bullock gaped like he was choking on something. However, he snapped quickly out of his stupor and advanced on Oswald grabbing him by the lapels. And Oswald let him because for starters he was never intimidated by the brusque detective and secondly, he knew it was dictated by his concern for Jim.
‘What did you do!? I’m gonna gut you and spit on your corpse you…!’
‘Harvey, let him go! He didn’t do anything I didn’t want.’ said Jim with a faint blush blooming on his cheeks and Oswald’s lips curled into small smile.
‘How is it even possible, Jim!?’ Bullock continued yelling though he released Oswald, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ He asked brokenly.
‘I never told anyone,’ Jim said sadly, ‘When I was in the army, I saw enough crap that omegas had to put with to never want come out as a one.’
Realization dawned on Mr. Pennyworth’s face and as he was also once a soldier. Oswald would bet on his cane that the butler was just reliving his own experiences with abuse of omegas.
‘But you came to him?’ Bullock’s voice sounded urgent like he was trying to understand.
‘It wasn’t a completely conscious thought. My heat was already starting and my instincts urged me to come to Oswald. And they were right.’ Jim smiled sweetly at him making his chest constrict with affection, ‘He didn’t lay a hand on me, Harvey. Well at least until I asked him to after the heat had ended.’
Bullock gave Oswald an incredulous look.
‘I would never do something against Jim’s explicit wishes.’ he said putting his chin forward challenging Bullock to protest.
But he didn’t.
‘You really love him, don’t you?’
‘Yes. I do.’ inclined his head Oswald.
Bullock stared at him for what felt like the longest time, but then his face relaxed.
‘I believe you, Oswald.’ he said tipping his hat and it was Oswald’s time to gape.
There was a first time for everything.
*~*
Several weeks had passed since Jim came out in more ways than one and he still waited for another shoe to drop. He expected to hear that omega shouldn’t be the one calling shots, but people treated him like always. He expected to hear protests about Penguin’s involvement in Haven, but again there was nothing.
On the contrary, refugees and officers alike seemed encouraged by the fact that someone with so much firepower, not to mention access to medicines and food, was on their side. And Oswald clearly knew what he was doing. Observing him dealing with the people, Jim concluded that he had changed after Sofia. He was more patient, less prone to violence and although untimely he could still shoot the messenger (quite literary at that) he learned how to not only get other’s attention in a good way (something he managed to do before – after all he was a mayor because people chose him) but to keep it.
Jim knew of course that the situation would change after their reconnection with mainland but who knew when it would happen? He was determined to enjoy the moment and not fret about the future like always. And Oswald made it very easy to focus on the now.
‘Oswald.’ moaned Jim, his eyes rolling back in his head, when Oswald’s teeth scraped the mark on his neck.
‘Yes, darling?’ he asked against his neck, making Jim’s skin prickle.
‘Don’t stop, you bastard’ he groaned, clasping his legs tighter around Oswald’s waist.
Oswald chuckled brushing Jim’s nipples on his way down but before his hand could reach its destination a voice made them both freeze in place.
‘Oh. My. God!’ gasped someone dramatically and Jim groaned again. But this time there was no pleasure in it because he recognized that voice.
‘What are you doing here, Edward?’ asked Oswald turning a little so he could glare at his uninvited guest.
‘And what are you doing!?’ screeched Nygma, gaping at them in shock.
‘No one ever talked with you about birds and bees?’ said Oswald mockingly making a faint blush on Nygma’s face more prominent. ‘What do you want?’
Jim sighed in irritation, unlocking his legs to sit properly on the mayoral desk. It seemed that Nygma cockblocked them for now. He could feel his erection withering from annoyance and something more elusive that spiked in him when Oswald made his way towards the green idiot and stopped too close to him to Jim’s comfort.
‘You brought me back to life. I remember your face before everything went black’ said Nygma looking at Oswald intently.
Jim suddenly knew what he was feeling: jealousy. The first sparks ignited by Oswald turning his attention towards Nygma roared into a full blaze when they started gazing into each other’s eyes like long lost lovers meeting after cruel fate tore them apart. Jim gritted his teeth to the point his whole jaw was hurting. He would be damned if he let Nygma waltz back into Oswald’s life. He didn’t deserve him and maybe Jim didn’t also, but he at least didn’t shoot him and left him to drown. Besides, Oswald was his! Instincts that Jim still didn’t fully control after blocking them almost all his life took over making him hop off the desk and move closer to the pair before he placed himself between them and growled:
‘Get the hell away from my mate.’
Nygma blinked at him in shock then his lips stretched in nasty grin.
‘Or what, little omega?’ he asked with contempt leaning towards Jim. He didn’t make it very far before Oswald’s hand struck from behind Jim’s back and pulled Nygma by his collar, while his other hand put a blade to his neck.
‘I’m happy you’re alive and well Ed but speak like that to Jim again and I will rectify this state of being, capiche?’ he said in a low voice and Nygma’s hands shot up in a gesture of surrenderer.
‘Got it, Oswald.’ he said hastily, adjusting glasses that threatened to slip from his nose and in that moment, Jim didn’t see the Riddler’s ridiculous persona Ed had created but the young and socially awkward forensic examiner in love with riddles and puzzles and his anger subdued.
Oswald had it under control, whatever was happening between him and Ed and it looked like their shared past wouldn’t become a problem to Jim’s and Oswald’s relationship. Jim relaxed and took a step to encircle Oswald’s waist with his arms.
‘It’s fine, baby’ he muttered against his skin and kissed his temple.
He often calmed Oswald that way before his temper could reach its boiling point, and this wasn’t any different. And the fact he was looking Ed dead in the eye meant nothing. A mere coincidence.
‘It is in no shape or form acceptable, darling, to be subjected to slurs.’ said Oswald, his anger not yet satiated, and Ed noticed that too.
‘I’m sorry.’ he said to Jim through his gritted teeth and only when Jim inclined his head in acknowledgement did Oswald’s death-grip loosen, and Ed could stand properly on his feet.
‘As you should.’ he said putting away his blade before he craned his neck to capture Jim’s lips in a kiss, ‘Let me talk to him.’
Jim knew that one word of protest and Oswald would kick Ed back on the streets or wherever he came from, but he forced himself to resist the urge.
‘Sure thing. I’ll see you at dinner, babes.’ he added to purely irritate Ed and from the way he was staring daggers at him he succeeded.
‘Don’t call me babes.’ said Oswald, but his voice was laced with amusement over their shared joke, from their shared past.
In their shared present Jim smiled to himself thinking quite optimistically about their shared future. It was fate that brought them together after all.