Love Before Bats; Gotham Oneshots

A Maze of a Heart

Prompt: This would take place immediately after Jeremiah is sprayed with insanity gas where Echo comforts him.

Jeremiah's POV
     Nauseas. I felt insanely nauseous.
     Everything was spinning and my eyes burned, watered, and burned harder. Jerome's tape kept playing on repeat but to me, the words had become gibberish played at an ear splitting volume. My face was burning like nothing before ever had and my cheekbones were sore.
     Sore?
     I was smiling. Why the fuck was I smiling?
I tried to stop and found I wasn't able to. All that came of the attempt was a rumbling in my throat that I couldn't suppress. I couldn't stop myself. I was laughing. Maniacally. Like a madman. Like him.
     Oh god, I can never be like him.
     I gripped at my hair, nearly ripping at my scalp trying to stop laughing, to shut my mouth, to frown.
     No use. He won. He found a way to get me, even in death. I slammed the Jack-in-the-Box closed and shoved all the blueprints off my desk, hoping my anger would overcome this madness.
It wouldn't.
I slumped to the ground pathetically and sobbed through my giggles, ignoring the searing pain the tears tracked down my face.
     "Miah?"
     Echo. Oh no. I didn't want her to see me like this. She was my protector, my best friend, my pillar. She was the strong one. But that didn't mean I wanted to be weak.
     "E-Echo," It was difficult to talk through my laughing fit of tears. "Leave. It's not a good time."
     "Are you okay?" Dammit, Echo. Why must you be so sweet and care?
     "I'm fine. Leave." I knew I sounded mean but I didn't care. Obviously this gas could take control of physical motions and impulses. There was too high a percentage of me hurting her.
     She's Echo, though, so of course she didn't listen, instead walking toward the table and inspecting the Jack-in-the-Box.
     "It's spring loaded," she said simply, choosing not to comment on my disturbing state. "I should've inspected it first, like I do with all your mail."
     I peered at her through my pain. Did she blame herself for this? Seriously?
     She pushed a button on the bottom of the box and the recording played again. I buried my face in my hands. I was running out of breath. The laughing fit was subsiding. Thank god. My crying didn't stop though.
     I heard footsteps and felt her presence beside me and the recording drew to an end. She kneeled down.
     "Let me see," she said gently. That scared me. Echo was always confident, cocky, or sarcastic when she spoke. It must've been that bad. I shook my head.
     "Let me see, Jeremiah," she repeated, calling me by my full first name, a rare occurrence. I felt her fingers under my chin as she guided my face up and towards her. I could tell by the subtle quirk of her eyebrow that it was serious, but other than that, she gave nothing away, standing up again and taking me with her out of the room.
"W-where are we going?" I asked. Her fingers were cold on my forearm.
"There's a first aid kit in the bathroom. You're gonna hate it but we have to disinfect your burn."
"What, my entire face?"
"Yep."
We turned around a corner and faced one of the longest hallways in the labyrinth.
"Are you scared?"
"Am I ever?"
"Of me, I mean? Of what he could turn me into?"
She gave me a withering look. "Miah, you're about as threatening as my grandmother,"
I rolled my eyes.
"And she wears adult diapers and lives on apple sauce and Jesus."
I nearly smiled. Sore cheek bones.
"You saw what happened to me in there. What if it happens again?"
"Then I'll slap you out of it or go crazy with you. It isn't that complicated," she shrugged her shoulders at me and started tugging harder at my arm, a silent message to quicken my pace.
I couldn't help but notice the resolution in her ultimatum, that no matter what, she wasn't leaving. She didn't seem to think too much of it, being more concerned with getting the blonde fly-aways that escaped her messy braid off her forehead.
I took a minute to appreciate how great of a friend she was.
Hell, I took a moment to appreciate her. She really was beautiful. And she really didn't care. It was kind of awesome.
"But what if I hurt you?"
She stopped walking and spun around to face me. "Do you want to hurt me?"
My eyes widened at the question, "Fuck no!"
She nodded solemnly. "Then don't."
She turned around and that was that. We continued our trek down the hallway. I wasn't quite done though.
"Can I ask you a question?"
She sighed as dramatically as possible. "Can you start a paradox?"
I took the comment in stride and continued.
     "How bad is it? My face, I mean."
     "Honestly?" she verified.
     I swallowed. "Honestly."
     "You look like a fucking porcelain doll."
     I gave her the biggest eye roll I could muster and she finally cracked a smile.
     "That much sass? Yeah, you're still you, Miah."
     Now it was my turn to smile, and then ignore the pain it caused. "Why do you do this?"
     "Do what?"
     "Be my friend, care about me, protect me, spend all your time with me?"
     She looked down and bit her lip before turning to me and cocking her head. "You know, for a prodigy, you can be a real dumbass."
     I abruptly stopped walking.
     She spun round, "Oh, come on. Don't make this a big deal. I mean, sure-"
     I cut her off by kissing her. It was short and sweet but passionate. I pulled her closer by the small of her back, cupping her face in my hand. It took her a moment to kiss back and when I felt her hand on my chest I was scared that she was pushing me away, but when I felt her clench a fistful of my shirt to pull me closer I couldn't help but smile again.
     Too soon, however, she pulled back, a wide grin on her face. "You know I don't think I mind your whole crazy kick. Shit is finally happening."
     At that I actually chuckled, wincing right after.
     Echo took notice. "Come on, let's actually disinfect this now."
     "Ok." We finally made it to the bathroom, where I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. "Shit! I'm a fucking porcelain doll."