A Frozen Heart

Even?

Ed snaked his left arm around behind my neck, and with his right hand he raised my chin.
"Why are you crying, Oswald?"

"Because," I sniffled, "I don't know what you did to deserve what I did to you. I escaped a well-deserved death, and you, what? Had to die because I killed the love of your life? Because you didn't want your lover to die in vain? I... I'm sorry, for everything."

"Oswald..." He whispered, "All I care about now is you."

Edward leaned in to kiss me...

As I closed my eyes and got on my tip-toes, I was interrupted by a gush of cold wind. I opened my eyes- he was frozen again.

I wake up with a gasp, nearly falling off the corner of my bed. This is the third time I've woken up tonight. The thought of bringing Ed back is gnawing on my every thought. I know what I have to do.

I know that trying to sleep won't be worth the trouble, so I immediately head outside and towards my club by foot.

Turning around the corner, I stop to see the late-night city lights twinkling in the distance. Cane in hand, I continue.

-

His hands are outstretched. One of his legs is about ready to run forward. His face is painted with sheer agony. I feel a pang of guilt- although I've showed that I'm obviously the superior villain here, so am I to keep him here as some sort of trophy? I killed Isabelle. I escaped my death. I created an army of freaks. I froze The Riddler.
Just with that, I'm at 4 to 0 with Nygma.
I'll always win- he can at least be here with me to know that.

I walk over to the thermostat and take a deep breath. Am I really ready for this? Slowly, I turn the dial to the right.

I take a hesitant glance at the still-frozen Edward. Gulping down my anxiety, I walk over to the small couch in front of the ice block and sit.

Fatigue steadily comes back to me as I calm down and put up my feet. My eyes flutter shut, and sooner than never, I'm out.

-

I came in here around 2 A.M.- so it can't be past 5:30 A.M. now. Struggling to regain my consciousness, I sit up to take a look at the progress of Ed's frozen state.

As it turns out, the process has been happening more quickly than I had expected.

He lays unconscious on the floor, below the stand that he had been placed upon previously. His clothes are soaked in a pool of water.
Is he dead?

I pace over to him, bend down, put two fingers up to his neck, and check for a pulse. Nothing. I try his wrist. Nothing.

I let out a shaky breath and start to pull my hand away- when Edward grabs at my palm forcefully.

"Ed," I gasp. "A-are you... Ed, are you, uh-?"

I'm cut off by a small cough escaping his still body. He can barley move- he must be... freezing. I hurriedly shrug off my coat and place it on him. It's not much, but it sure beats what the rest of this place has for insulation. I sit on the ground next to him.

His hand releases its grip on mine and goes under the coat. His jaw twitches a bit and his eyes flutter slightly downwards.

After a few minutes, I hear him attempting to say something.

"O-Oswal- Are- Killed... Cold..."

It's as if all of his thoughts are being jumbled into one, and his mouth isn't allowing him to say anything in the right context.

"You can take your time, Ed," I say. "And then we can talk. Yes, talk. None of your dramatic bullsh-"

"Oswald. Stop," he croaks.

I jump back in surprise, and respond, "Stop what, talking? Or bringing you back to life? Because I can do that in a heartbeat."

His head rolls a bit as he adjusts the rest of his body, still laying. Without thinking, I guess, Ed pulls my coat closer to him.

"Why the hell are you doing this?"

"I've caused you enough pain, Edward. Consider me letting you off on good behavior."

"Yeah, you've caused me enough pain. But you haven't felt enough pain yet."

"Yet?" I chuckle. "Okay, do you like being frozen? Some sort of kink of yours?"

"You're sick. My motives of that topic have nothing to do with ice, let alone what you're doing to me."

At that I burst out laughing. "God, Nygma, you-"

"Why the hell are you doing this?" he asks again.

I feel the emotion drain from my face. I straighten out my shirt and try my best to come up with an answer. Nothing.

"I don't know." My voice comes out crisp and serious. With his sideways glance from the floor, I can see Ed's eyebrows furrow underneath his glasses.

"What?"

"Now we're even."

"Even?" he voices. His tone is laced with poison. "What makes you think we're even, Oswald? You killed Isabella-"

"DEAR GOD, ED, WILL YOU EVER GET OVER HER? YOU KNEW HER FOR, LIKE, TWO DAYS!" I feel my face heat up, and I see Edward's glance fall flat in silence.

"You... really want to move on?" Ed asks.

"Yes, obviously," I say back with toxicity.

"Being frozen isn't very fun."

"Neither is being shot and thrown into a damn river. I won't apologize."

"Neither will I."

Ed slowly sits up with a grunt, putting a hand to his forehead.

With sudden realization, he throws my coat off of his torso, saying nothing but looking in the other direction.

"I want to kill you, Oswald."

"I know."

"Is there any point in trying?"

"You know the answer to that."

"I do. I actually do want to move on, though. Forward. With you."

"As partners?" I scoff. "I actually missed you talking to you- Why, I haven't the slightest. You never gave a damn about me. Still don't."

He rolls his eyes.

"I did miss you while I thought you were dead," he says quietly.

"Really?" I respond with suspicion. "I'd like to hear the story."