call it what you want || nygmobblepot x oc ✅

Delicate

POV Five Jackson 

I go back to the guest room and replace my black sweater with a tight black t-shirt and a leather jacket I found for cheap at a thrift store. (Fun fact: that thrift store got robbed two days later. It's almost as if I'm bad luck.) Slipping out the door, I remember the address. Not far from the manor, so I can afford to walk.

But as I walk up- shit. I'd known the address sounded familiar but now that I'm here... I used to panhandle here. I'd forgotten it. But how could I? Especially now? This is The Sirens, Barbara Kean's place. She works for Penguin too. 

The bouncer lets me in when I tell him I'm with "Andy". I smirk as I shoulder past him. Nobody willingly fucks with Andrew. He's not very powerful but he is almost psychotic, which makes him less likely to be fucked with. I see Annalise dancing as Andrew watches from a booth, swirling a glass of what looks like whiskey in his hand. She spots me first and dashes over.

"Five!" she grins, hugging me and then pulling away to look at me. "Hot," she says, smoothing her hands over my upper forearms, covered by the jacket. "How about we get you a drink?" Without letting me get a word in edgewise (and really, what would I say?), she pulls me to the bar, waving down the bartender. He wipes down a glass and looks at me closely.

"Manhattan," he pronounces, and turns, starting to fill the glass.

"He's a whiz," Annalise says. "Looks at you and picks a drink. Mine was a Cosmopolitan. Little bitter but my Andy's teachin' me how to shoot vodka straight."

I nod and shove my hands into my pockets. The bartender turns and slides a cocktail glass over to me. Served straight up, without ice, and with a cherry speared on a toothpick, the whole thing looks- actually really good.

Annalise mistakes my surprise for worry. "Chill out," she giggles. "Andy's got a tab here." Of course he does. I pick up the glass and take a sip. It's a strong drink, with very little sweetness. It's good. I take another sip as the bartender looks increasingly smug. I give him a smile. What can I say? I'm shy. Anna giggles again and pulls me onto the dance floor.

"Uh oh," she says, mischief alight in her eyes. "He's lookin'," and the alcohol is slurring her words, her Gotham accent somehow even more prevalent. She stumbles and I smell her perfume as she lurches toward me. Jesus. She's more drunk than I thought.

"Is he?" I murmur, and she laughs, gripping my forearms as I try to keep her upright.

"Just think of all the fun things we could do, huh?" She giggles. "'S fun making him a little jealous."

"Sure," I say, and start to steer her towards Andrew's booth. Now might be a good time to tell him I'm gay. I practically dump her into the seat across from him and wince. "Sorry," I say quietly and move my hands, shoving them into my pockets. He's watching me, eyebrows arched and gaze analytical.

"So. Five. Are you enjoying the party so far?" he asks, voice smooth and low. It's a trick question. I down the last of my Manhattan and return his smile, just a little smaller and more subdued.

"So far," I say, letting my eyes skim over the crowd.

"See anybody you like?" he presses.

I meet his gaze. "Not yet," I say.

"How about we find you somebody then?" he says, seemingly satisfied with my answers. He points to a girl doing tricks on a pole. "Her?"

"I-"

"Oh wait! I know. Her," and he gestures at another one with purple hair swallowing fire in a corner to a small crowd. Pretty, both are, but not my type.

"Actually-" and then the doors are blown open and a silence fills the air. Nobody says a word. A couple heavily-armed men stand in the doorway Shit fuck. Andrew stands, shoving Anna behind him and pulling his gun. I pull mine as well, and he shoots me a look I can't quite comprehend, but I don't care because there are currently crazy ass people in the doorway.

I make the mistake of looking up. Everyone knows there's a private dining area above the club, looking over all of us. Penguin's there, leaning over the railing. What the fuck?

"Are you serious?" I hiss.

I hear Andrew yell, "Hey!" and that's when all hell breaks loose. People start screaming, bullets fly as I run for the stairs. Fuck. I've got to get to Penguin before something happens. They're either here for Penguin or Andrew, or maybe Barbara and her girlfriend Tabitha, but I've got to eliminate the first option.

I see Penguin's purple waistcoat and tie and dart towards him. I shove panicked people out of the way, ducking as I hear gunshots. The GCPD has just shown up, by the shouts, and I grab his arm, spinning him to face me. His eyes are wide, but not with fear- no, this is adrenaline. He's not scared at all.

"What are you doing?" I demand, my mouth getting the better of me. I tighten my grip on his arm and pull him towards the stairs.

"Excuse me?" he says, voice incredulous and I turn, probably glaring but I don't care.

"What do you think I'm talking about? I thought you were going to be fine at home!" Home? Are you a child? I grit my teeth. 

"You are certainly not my babysitter," he spits out and tugs at his arm. I don't let go though, and yank him down as a bullet shatters a window above our heads.

"You're right. I'm not. But it is my job to protect you." I pull him down the stairs and we're almost at the back exit when a body goes flying into the door and I wince. I make the decision to tug him through the kitchen to the alleyway. We're almost at the doors when I whirl again. "Now, I'm about to steal a car. We're going home, and you're going to tell me what you thought you would be accomplishing leaving without some sort of detail with you." Penguin's eyes are wide. I know the feeling, pal. I don't snap often, but when I do, it's not pretty. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's impulsivity. I know what you're thinking- you don't like impulsivity but you're obviously impulsive? Hypocrite. And maybe you're right. Hey, I can be irritated by myself too.

I quickly hotwire an nearby Toyota and pull it over. "Get in," I say tersely. He does, choosing the shotgun seat. I drive like a madman, leaving Penguin in the front yard of the manor before ditching the car in a nearby park.

When I get back, he's still there, and we go into the house. We don't speak to each other, going in our separate directions to our separate rooms.

My last thought as I fall asleep is what am I going to do with this man?