Umbrella (Oswald Cobblepot x Reader)

Umbrella

(Oswald Cobblepot x Reader)

It was relatively quiet in the nightclub.  Every once in a while you could hear the sound of a glass being put back on its shelf, but other than that you were wrapped in a comfortable silence.  The wooden piano bench felt unusually hard against your rear, but that was probably because you’d been sitting there for hours.  Now you were just messing with the keys, playing a soft melody.  Only one hand toying with the cold ivory.  The other was resting in your lap, enveloped in the folds of your new dress.  You weren’t particularly fond of it, but Fish had insisted you wear it.  Your wardrobe was too boring as she’d put it.  Oswald seemed to like it, though.  You had caught him stealing glances at you off and on all night.  You’d never admit it, but you found him quite attractive in an odd sort of way.  His messy hair, his piercing blue eyes.  You didn’t dare allow your mind to linger on him too long.  You were taken, after all.

    “Miss _____?”  A soft voice derailed your train of thought.  You hadn’t realized it, but your index and middle fingers had been teetering back and forth between A and B for the past minute and a half.  Blinking slightly, you glanced over your shoulder to see Oswald lingering there awkwardly, his hands clasped behind his back.  “Telephone for you.”

     “Ah,” you cleared your throat.  “Thank you.”

~

     “Uh-huh…”  Your hand clenched and unclenched the telephone cord as you spoke.  Oswald watched as your slim fingers choked the life out of it.  Each time your grip grew tighter and tighter.  And the longer the conversation went on, the less you said.  The dark haired man tried to appear as nonchalant as possible as he eavesdropped.  You hadn’t even realized he was still there. 

     “I see…”  You sighed.  Your eyes closed as you hung up the phone.  The gentle ching made Oswald jump.  He glanced from left to right, trying to find something to occupy his hands so that he didn’t seem so suspicious.  Not that you cared.  He could have been milking a cow and you wouldn’t have noticed.

     “Miss _____--”

     “I’m going home,” you interrupted flatly.

     Oswald pursed his lips as you approached the door.  His footsteps were heavy and uneven as he rushed to your side, coat in hand.

     “It’s cold out,” he muttered.  A lopsided grin flickered across his face.  “You might need this.”

     You tried to return his smile, but failed miserably.  Tears were already swelling in your eyes as you stuffed your arms into the blazer.  A sharp, familiar scent overwhelmed your senses as the fabric wrapped around your bare shoulders.  It was comforting, because it smelled like your friend, the young man standing beside you.  You nodded.  “Thanks.”

~

     Thunder roared in the distance.  ‘Figures,’ you thought as you stared at the ominous black clouds that were billowing in from the east.  You’d count this as another sign of your bad fortune, but it always rained in Gotham.  ‘I should really invest in an umbrella.’

     A flash of lightning caused sparks to dance across your vision.  The thunder that followed was much closer than before; this time it vibrated your eardrums and sent a shiver down your spine.  A sudden gust of wind tugged at your dress and the coat Oswald had lent to you.  Oswald.  That unusual boy who was always at Fish’s side.  The one who stole glances at you from afar and rarely spoke, but often listened to you rant about this or that.  He seemed completely content just hearing your voice as you went on and on about some new song you’d heard or a dress you’d seen at the store across from your apartment building.  Oswald was always there.  Always.  You had pushed him out of your thoughts for so long that you hadn’t really realized just how close the two of you were.  You’d even go as far as to say he was your best friend.

     ‘Great…’  You narrowed your eyes as ice-cold needles of rain pricked at your skin.  It wasn’t long before you were completely soaked from head to toe.  You were still several blocks away from your apartment, and as a wall of rain blurred the path, you felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness wash over you. 

    “I should just let the rain drown me,” you muttered. 

     “I-I don’t think so.”

     You thought that the roar of the storm had drowned out your voice, but apparently someone heard it.  Turning suddenly, you blinked, trying to bat away huge droplets of rain so that you could make out the figure standing before you.  As it came closer, you were able to make out an umbrella.

     “Oswald?”  You asked, a fair amount of uncertainty in your tone.  A few long strides and the lanky young man had shielded you with his umbrella.

     “Hi,” a broad smile stretched his thin lips.

     You felt something warm and wet roll down your cheeks.  It was as if someone was clutching your throat, causing your breath to hitch.  “Hi,” you sniffled.

     Oswald’s smile fell slowly.  Your tears mingled with the remaining raindrops as they slipped down your soft cheeks.  With his free hand, he reached up to touch the curve of your face, but hesitated. His cool, blue eyes searched yours for a sign of permission.  They were filled with uncertainty and something you couldn’t quite identify.  After a moment, you managed a small grin.  The simple gesture sent another set of tears trailing down your cheeks.  Oswald’s fingertips were rough, but warm, against your chilled skin.  You’d never had a man touch you quite like that.  You could barely feel him trace your jawline.  It was as if he thought you were made of porcelain.  It sent a different sort of shiver down your spine; a pleasant one.

     A moment ago your thoughts were muddled and confused.  Now all you could focus on was your current situation.  You were still crying, but the reason had escaped your mind momentarily.  You could feel the warmth radiating off of your companion’s chest, sense the delicacy this moment held.  You were so close to crossing a line that you hadn’t even realized was there until just now.  Or maybe you had, but didn’t want to admit it to yourself.  Looking back, everything was painfully clear.  Your relationship was over long before you received that phone call.

     “You’re soaked,” Oswald noted as he began peeling a piece of wet hair from your neck.  This time your smile was genuine as you stilled his hand with your own.

     “You don’t say.”

     Oswald allowed a husky laugh to escape his lips, his cool breath washing over your face.  He was avoiding your gaze, something you were well used to.  What you weren’t familiar with was the annoyance that followed.  You were craving his attention.  You wanted him to look at you, the way you were looking at him right now, studying his features, taking in every flaw and imperfection and trying to justify your unexplainable attraction.

     “Look at me,” you spoke without thinking.  Oswald dragged his gaze upwards until finally, his pale blue eyes were locked with your (eye color) ones.  There it was.  The answer was as simple as that.  There was something hidden deep inside those ice colored orbs, something that enticed you.   They flickered to your lips briefly.  There was another silent question, only this time he didn’t wait for your permission.

     His eyelids grew heavy as he kissed the corner of your lips.  His free hand cupped your neck as he brushed his nose against your jaw.  He took in your scent, enjoying every second of it.  Once more, the line had disappeared, but this time you were far on the other side.  There was no going back now. 

     Oswald crashed his lips to yours, pulling you into a tight embrace.  The umbrella dropped to the ground with a loud splash, allowing the rain to pound against you both once more.

    Not that you cared.

     Your hands roamed from his face to his neck.  His skin was slick with rain but heated nonetheless.  Oswald wasted no time in allowing the fingers of his free hand to entangle themselves in your hair, deepening the kiss even more.  You could feel his breath wash across your tongue, sense how desperately he had wanted this.  You gripped the collar of his now soaked shirt as you both parted for air.

     “Now you’re soaked,” you laughed breathlessly.  Oswald tipped his forehead against yours, his eyes still lingering on your lips.  He touched your cheek briefly before retrieving his umbrella.

     “Shall we?”  His tongue darted across his lips as they stretched into a slightly crooked grin.  You nodded once, an odd mixture of wonder and something you couldn’t quite identify twisting your stomach into a tight knot.  Still, you couldn’t help but smile.

     “Let’s.”

Fin~